On-Campus Hospitality magazine
September 2002
The University of Georgia, Athens, has teamed up with MSE Branded Food Systems to revamp three of the school's dining venues to keep up with rising customer counts. Currently 99 percent of the school's residential students are on a meal plan, an increase of 350 percent over the last several years. Cash sales have risen 300 percent during the same period. Annual foodservice sales at the school total approximately $15 million.
According to Jack Hough, MSE's CEO, the main objective of the renovations was to increase speed and efficiency while providing an attractive setting and inviting environment for student dining. "We widened the aisle space and doubled the number of pay/scan registers for efficiency," he said. "We increased the number of hot wells, added woks and cutting boards and brought the final prep to the front of the serving area for an appetizing theater effect."
The upgrades also included sprucing up the serving and dining areas. "We used soft or what we call easy dining colors to prevent the 'assembly-line mentality' often associated with serving lines and large quantity feeding," said Hough.
While MSE does manage food courts at locations ranging from airports to zoo's, at UGA the company is providing design and consulting services only. "MSE's prior record with other colleges on creative designs and of getting projects done on schedule and within budget were major reasons why we chose to partner with them," said J. Michael Floyd, the school's dining services department head. The renovated locations are Bolton Dining Commons (Fall 2000), Snelling Dining Hall (Fall 2001) and the Bulldog Cafe (June 2002). UGA and MSE are currently reviewing two more locations for renovation.