It’s common knowledge that Duke Dining is not one of the most lauded aspects of this University. Whenever I’m forced to venture into a discussion with one of my friends about our dinner selection, I have to hear about how the dining options at Duke are dismal and that the food at competing universities is superior. Although I certainly think that the caliber of food here—especially at such astronomical prices—could be improved, I’m of the dissenting opinion on this one.
Don’t get me wrong. I live at The Loop and can’t stomach (literally) the notion of eating at the Mediocre, err, Great Hall. I’d be the last person to make the argument that we have the best dining options in the country, but we don’t have the worst either. Students like to compare our food to that of “state schools” like the University of Virginia or Virginia Tech, which are known for having superior dining options. These schools are, however, the exception to the rule. Try eating the food (if you can call it that) at Sacramento State University. I promise you’ll never complain about Plate and Pitchfork again.
So, like I said, I can live with sub-par food. What I can’t live with is overpriced sub-par food. For as much as one swipe at the Marketplace costs, you would think that Duke Dining turns a healthy profit. Think again.
In 2006, Duke Dining increased its operating budget in order to switch the vendor that oversees Bon Appetit (the caterer that provides food for the Great Hall and Marketplace) from ARAMARK Corp. to Compass Group. In the two years following this change, Duke Dining Services lost money and faced a $2 million deficit for the 2008 fiscal year. In January of 2010, The Chronicle ran a story about the dining deficit, where administrators promised to work toward correcting the problem in the near future. Larry Moneta was quoted as saying, “I could erase the deficit by offering all packages and unhealthy foods. I have a fantasy of [Duke Dining] being the healthiest, greenest, most enjoyable food system in America. Ask me how we’re going to get there—ask me again in two years.”
Well, guess what, LMo? It’s two years later, and I’m asking.
Excluding the recent announcement of Virginia Tech’s Robert Coffey as the new director of dining services (undoubtedly a step in the right direction), I have been unable to find any information about Duke Dining—specifically the dining deficit—since The Chronicle last reported on it in mid-2010. Furthermore, short of last semester’s failed attempt to eliminate 11 of the vendors from Merchants on Points, I have seen no apparent, meaningful changes in the way that Duke Dining conducts business. If the administration truly is correcting this issue, I’d like to hear about the progress. Quite frankly, the notion that a school like Duke can lose money on a service as simple as food is mind-boggling.
My proposal isn’t some revolutionary concept or a clever Ponzi scheme. It’s the same model that many large universities—like most of the University of California system—use. Furthermore, it’s uniquely capable of solving the issues that plague Duke Dining the most. As administrators have stated previously, the University’s noble commitment to providing all employees a living wage puts a strain on certain departments, especially considering the unionized workers in food services. If these workers weren’t employees of the University, however, none of this would be the school’s problem.
Duke needs to get rid of catering companies like Bon Appetit and sublease dining space to private restaurants instead. For example, the University of California San Diego’s equivalent of the Marketplace is arranged somewhat like a shopping mall food court. Its Asian, Mexican, salad and pizza “stations” are independent operations that bring in their own workers. After paying rent to the university, the owners of each restaurant keep the profits they make.
This would allow the school to control the dining options on campus without having to be directly involved with the daily operations of each dining location. The administration still has the option to lease space selectively, such as leasing only to companies that meet certain standards for wages and environmental stewardship. If a location is unpopular with students, their lease would not be renewed and a new restaurant would move in. I guarantee there are plenty of restaurants that would jump at the opportunity to have captive patrons like Duke students. Although it may take some trial and error as well as a major facility overhaul (can you say West Union renovation?) to perfect this system, it would ultimately provide the school with a more flexible and student-guided dining experience.
Here’s how I see it: We can fix Duke Dining, but the administration might have to give up some of what it loves the most—control.
Scott Briggs is a Trinity sophomore. His column runs every other Wednesday. Follow Scott on Twitter at @SBriggsChron
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