After experiencing a wave of success, operators of The Tower said the restaurant is ready to adapt to serve Keohane Quadrangle 4E when it opens Spring 2012.
Owner Tom Meyer and John Dolce, the venue’s general manager, announced this at the Duke University Student Dining Advisory Committee’s meeting Monday night.
DUSDAC co-Chair Alex Klein, a senior and former online editor for The Chronicle, said expectations for The Tower next year would be high among administrators and future Keohane 4E residents.
Dolce was optimistic, however, and said it would be possible for the venue to expand its offerings and operating hours.
“We basically have the core menu set right now,” he said. “Adding products and expanding the menu and increasing training for employees will not be difficult.”
Dolce added that the restaurant currently serves one student approximately every 30 seconds. In order to maintain its service rate as the number of students increases, Dolce and Meyer said they will look to modify the restaurant in several ways, including streamlining the ordering process and expanding seating.
Meyer also mentioned the possibility of an “express menu” and said he would be willing to try out some of the proposed initiatives during in Fall 2011, before Keohane 4E opens.
The Tower replaced Tommy’s Rubs and Grubsl, a barbecue-styled venue, in Summer 2010. Meyer noted that sales—as well as the number of customers—have increased since the change, along with the number of customers.
“Our revenue is up almost 100 percent,” Meyer said. “We’ve driven down the cost of eating [at The Tower] by about 80 cents per serving and raised the freshness.”
The Tower also recently began offering lunch. Dolce noted that lunch has not been as successful as dinner, but added that he is not discouraged.
“We figured [lunch] would be slow,” Dolce said. “It’s kind of a test run for next year.”
In other business:
DUSDAC also heard from vegan Ian Harwood, a sophomore, who discussed the dining difficulties vegans, who do not eat animal products, encounter as a result of limited vegan meal options and employees’ lack of knowledge about ingredients. Harwood said it is a challenge to determine if meals on campus are truly vegan and suggested the University be required to provide food for students with special dining requirements, since students living on campus are required subscribe to a meal plan.
“[Employees will] ask someone else, and then they’ll call someone, and then in a few minutes you’ll find out [the food] has milk in it,” Harwood said.
Director of Dining Services Jim Wulforst agreed and said employees should know the ingredients in the food they are serving.
“If it’s something that is supposed to be made without animal byproducts, that’s certainly something that employees should know and should be labeled,” Wulforst said.
Neither the committee nor Wulforst, however, offered concrete solutions to better cater to special dietary needs.
Franca Alphin, director of nutrition services at Student Health, also agreed that Duke is responsible for feeding all students regardless of dietary requirements.
“I do feel like whether it’s by choice or by need, it’s our responsibility to provide,” Alphin said.
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