This semester will be one of change for the Zorn Dining Commons. With a new marketing manager and management team, the dining commons and the staff that work behind the scenes are looking forward to trying to improve Keene’s dining facilities for the better after the recent inspection scored lower than a passing grade.
Jen Ferrell, the associate vice president for student engagement, shared what she knew about the upcoming changes and how the inspection of the dining commons went on Monday, Jan. 27.
“The inspections are supposed to come yearly, but there was not a 2024 inspection,” Ferrell explained. “They came on Monday and the inspector covered the entirety of the dining commons and all of the retail spaces; that would include Lloyd’s [Marketplace], the Sizzler area and the Hoot-n-Scoot.”
Ferrell said the retail areas received 98 out of 100 points, while the dining commons received 69 out of 100.
“The inspectors explained the score and what the staff needed to work on. Most of them are sort of simple things that are already immediately managed, like someone leaving a cup out without a lid on at a food station, things like that,” Ferrell explained.
Ferrell continued, noting other items that require more than a simple fix.
“Some of our heating areas aren’t always maintaining the heat level that they should be. So those are some things that they will be looking at, especially over the next couple of weeks.”
Ferrell went on to share how the management team has changed this year, including the addition of an executive chef, Austin O’Hara, back in November.
“[O’Hara] had to get up to speed quickly and learn how our operations work,” Ferrell said.
Ferrell also made mention of additions to the marketing and communication department recently.
“I think because of that, students will start to see a difference in communication in terms of both knowing about events, what’s going on in the different dining facilities, how to participate [and] how to provide feedback. That should be noticeably more visible since we haven’t had anyone in that role for over a year.”
Patrick Friley, the resident district manager for Chartwells, provided some additional information about the recent inspection and the role that student input has on the dining commons selection.
“There was one find at Lloyd’s that brought the score down to a 98, and that was a box left unattended on the ground,” Friley explained. “There were a couple dings at the dining commons. One regarded a cutting board with a scratch in it and another was about walls they want replastered.”
The official report on the inspection included that multiple cutting boards were left in poor condition and that there were knives stored in a rack with debris. Additionally there was a case of a ceiling grid in a dish room having debris and rust forming on it.
Bobbie Walker, the regional director of operations at Chartwells, added some clarifying information about why the dining commons scored lower than Lloyd’s.
“The dishwasher didn’t reach the temperature they wanted,” Walker said. “There was also a ding for no lids on toppings for the ice cream station.”
Friley went on to elaborate on what the management team has been working towards this semester.
“We added organic beverages at Lloyd’s,” Friley said. “Students told us that the grab-and-go was taking too long so we added a grab-and-go heated area for those who might be in a rush.”
Walker agreed that the management and marketing team behind the dining commons is hard at work to improve the Keene dining experience.
“Now that we have all of these managers we can drive the marketing and events,” Walker said. “All of the managers love helping to improve the dining experience here and love Keene.”
Tagora Mortensen, a first-year, explained his feelings about the Zorn Dining Commons and the quality of the food there.
“It varies for me. I don’t like how they will advertise food as the same thing but then it’ll be different, such as the fries being different kinds while the sign stays the same. I also don’t like how the menu is almost always inaccurate,” Mortensen said.
Mortensen noted one experience in particular where the menu was misleading at the dining commons.
“One morning the online menu said there were cinnamon rolls at the dining hall but then I went and they weren’t there,” Mortensen explained. “I asked someone and they said they knew nothing about that. Ultimately, it depends on the day for what the quality of the food will be. Sometimes it will be really good and sometimes it will be really bad.”
Chloe Erno can be contacted at
cerno@kscequinox.com
