DINING SERVICES
Spring 2014 Newsletter
University Dining Service
Student Center Noon Buffets
Upcoming 2014 Events:
Each year, UDS offers two special buffets to the campus and
Menomonie community as a way to enhance personal connections
on the campus and in the community. It is also a great way to
market the services available from University Catering.
Spring 2014 Newsletter
The first buffet was the annual Oktoberfest, on October 24, 2013.
The menu is reflective of German cuisine. This buffet was attended
by 139 individuals. Menu highlights of German origin were pork
with sauerkraut, kielbasa, German potato salad, apple strudel and
black forest cake.
January 2 – January 18
WinTerm
Monday, January 27
Classes begin
March 15 – March 23
Spring Break
Saturday, May 10
Graduation
Friday, May 16
Semester ends
The Holiday Buffet was held
on December 10, 2014. The
menu included oven roasted
turkey, glazed ham, holiday
meatballs, apple pecan
stuffing, green bean casserole, pies and holiday cookies.
227 diners enjoyed the menu,
the holiday décor and music.
Many departments gathered
as a group for their holiday
The Student Center dining operations have now
get-together.
been open for two years and sales continue to rise.
Many felt that the initial first full year might be the
peak of our sales growth and thereafter, there
would be a decline. What the sales reflect for the
first semester of 2013-14 is that sales continue to
rise, with increasing popularity across the board.
As we close the semester, we see overall sales up
15%. Individual operations show a 11% growth for
Brew Devils, 19% growth for Skylight Market and
7% growth for Fireside Cafe. The time of day most
growth is found is late night with sales up 18%
after 7 p.m. The rising sales are a testament to the
success of menu offerings and design work put into
the project.
The Honeymoon Continues
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Personnel Updates
New Student Managers joined the team in the fall semester and applications are being accepted now for next
semester’s interview process.
We welcome the following new Student Managers to the team:
Commons: Matthew Simono, Gregory Scarbrough, Erika McCusker
North Point: Christine Leonard, Mitchell Miller, Alysia Johnson
University Catering: Stacey Stine
Spring 2014 Newsletter
Susan Miller joined the North Point team in November, taking the position of Service Lead (Food Service Assistant 4) working the dinner and late night shifts. Susan is from Menomonie and comes with an extensive background and varied experiences in the foodservice field. Some of the locations she has worked are Legacy Chocolates, Silver Dollar Saloon, and the former Mardi Gras Café.
Scott Bast joined the Commons team in December, taking the position of Service Lead (Food Service Assistant 4)
working the lunch and dinner shift with a primary focus on the ware washing areas and assisting in the front of
the house cafeteria service. Scott has an Associate’s degree from CVTC in Hospitality. He has worked in several
foodservice areas including Country Kitchen and Red Lobster, as well as in delis and as a bartender. Scott resides in Menomonie.
We welcome all these new staff to UDS and our “Winning Team.”
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!
March
May
13 - Paula Prince,
Service Lead
ary
Febru
5 - Todd Utpadel,
Cook
15 - Linda Fane, Student
Employment Coordinator
31 - Danielle Tuschl,
Catering Lead
April
22 - Adam Richards,
Cook
21 -Barb Stephens,
Service Lead
26 -David Leach,
Executive Chef
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Professional Development Day
The Dining Service will start the semester off with an all-day training event on
Friday, January 17, 2014. The day will start with employee recognition and
department updates, along with highlights of the year thus far. Then, the entire
team will enjoy a presentation by Rob Bell, Certified Professional Speaker, who
specializes in team building, positive work environments, and customer service.
Rob’s presentation is entitled: “Teamwork Makes the Dream Work.” Since
foodservice is reliant on teamwork to do the job, every day, this will be a perfect
fit for dining service. Rob reflects his presentation in this quote: “teamwork
divides the tasks and multiples the successes.”
Reinhart Foodservice, dining’s prime vendor, will provide a “showcase style”
Speaker
lunch for all employees. The menu will include many new products in the marRob Bell
ket to consider for use in recipes and on menus. Several key manufacturer representatives will present their products, answer questions, and make
suggestions for product uses. The staff will sample these products
and provide written assessments on the products, and share their
ideas for what to use on future menus and how to use them.
Every Tuesday at Commons and North Point
Weekly Sample Bar
January 28
Orange Popcorn Chicken
February 4
Brat Patty on a Pretzel Roll
February 11 Mexican Meal – No sample bar
February 18 Italian Sausage Soup
February 25 Confetti Coleslaw with Rice
Vinegar Dressing
After lunch, staff will receive annual training on safety topics including hazard communication, PPE’s, and prevention of slips, trips
and falls in the workplace. Then, Andrew Cleveland will present a
session developed for the Dining Service team entitled “Positive
Workplace – Preventing and Addressing Workplace Harassment.”
An abbreviated version of this session will be used for all nonmanagement student employees with UDS.
The requests for more special diet accommodations continues to
grow, so there will be a session by Lisa Eierman, Registered Dietitian for UDS, on special diet needs and solutions. The training will
cover the eight commons allergens, food intolerances, foodrelated diseases, and unique diet choices made by customers.
March 4
Pretzel Cookies
March 11
Alfredo Lasagna
March 18
Spring Break – No sample bar
March 25
Cranberry White Chocolate
Wheat Germ Scones
April 1
Vegetable Chowder
April 8
Italian Beef Sandwich
April 15
Risotto Rice
April 22
Honey Sesame Pork
April 29
Red Velvet Ding Dong Cake
May 6
TBD
May 12
Open (Exam week)
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Spring 2014 Newsletter
Dining Halls we offer samples of new recipes
or products and ask for our customers’ feedback. Take a minute each of these Tuesdays
to try the sample and tell us what you think.
Your opinion counts!
Thanksgiving Buffet Rated High
Spring 2014 Newsletter
The Traditional Thanksgiving Buffet on Tuesday, November 12, 2013, was once
again rated as a very popular meal. The Commons served 1350 and North Point
served 489 for a total of 1839 diners. The most popular items on the menu varied
slightly in order of popularity; however, turkey, snicker salad, mashed potatoes,
stuffing and pork were all in the top 4 at one place or the other. Diners enjoyed
the games and activities which included pin the hat on the turkey, trivia for the
holiday, and creating turkey art. Surveys from 286 diners reflected the following:
Ratings:
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Menu
46%
42%
11%
1%
Overall Satisfaction
46%
46%
6%
2%
Entertainment/Décor
34%
46%
18%
2%
Worthwhile?
99%- Yes
1% - No
Holiday Feast Well Received
On December 11, 2013, Commons and North Point offered a buffet menu to celebrate the upcoming holidays. Menu highlights were: herb and cheese stuffed
chicken breast, carved ham, Gardein savory stuffed vegan roll, au gratin potatoes,
green bean casserole, rustic apple pie, gingerbread cookies, sugar cookies, mistletoe punch, egg nog, and more. The top three favorite menu items in both locations were carved ham, herb and cheese stuffed chicken breast, and au gratin
potatoes.
The Commons served 1164 and North Point served 395 for a total of 1559 diners.
Both locations offered students the opportunity to win prizes by decorating their
own cookies, playing holiday games or doing hand- created decorations. The linens and festive decorations, along with candlelight and holiday, music were much
appreciated by students. Surveys of 262 customers yielded positive results:
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Overall
49%
37%
12%
2%
Menu
40%
46%
12%
2%
Décor/Entertainment
47%
42%
11%
< 1%
Worthwhile?
98% - Yes
2% - No
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Beach Party A Hit
Diners really enjoyed the Beach Party, with all-you-can-eat pizza and wings, on
Tuesday, October 15, 2013. The Commons served 1305 and North Point
served 574 for a total of 1879 diners. There were eight different sauces for
the wings with the two most popular being BBQ and Ranch. Despite the fact
this meal was offered as an all-you-can-eat meal, the numbers may surprise
many. We served 3106 slices of pizza and 1992 servings of wings. That’s 996
pounds or almost a half-ton of wings!! The favorite foods were the pizza,
wings, fries, and the draft root beer. The decorations reflected a beach party
theme. A guest visit by “Blaze” the UW-Stout Athletic Blue Devil Mascot
occurred at each dining hall. Blaze was very entertaining with his athletic
moves, good humor, gifts of leis and candy. Games were played at both
locations and prizes awarded. Below is a chart indicating the popularity of
the theme and menu as rated by 245 diners that night.
Happy Anniversary!
January
1975
Jim Selz, Assistant Director –
Business & Purchasing
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Menu
34%
50%
14%
2%
2010
Jane DeFlorin, Service Lead
Overall Satisfaction
36%
52%
11%
1%
2012
Shawn Shafer, Service Lead
Entertainment/Décor
26%
47%
25%
2%
February
Worthwhile?
97%- Yes
3% - No
1997
Donna Zerbian, Service Lead
1999
Barb Stephens, Service Lead
March
2008
Todd Utpadel, Cook
2012
Jason Horzewski, Food
Production Assistant
April
Midnight Breakfast A Success
The Midnight Breakfast, which was FREE to hall residents, offered a breakfast
meal and opportunity to relieve stress by playing games for prizes. This event
was held on the eve of Exam week, Sunday, December 15, 2013, from 10:00
p.m. – 12:00 a.m. at both the Commons and North Point Dining Halls. The
event was co-sponsored by University Housing.
1991
Rod McRae, Catering Manager
2001
David Leach, Executive Chef
2009
Adam Richards, Cook
May
1991
Lisa Miller, North Point
Service Manager
2009
Richard Buckwheat, Baker
The Commons served 725 and North Point served 324 for a total of 1049 diners.
University Housing staff brought bingo back to North point. Bingo was very
popular at both locations with prizes given out to many participants. Students
were also offered some coffee packets to help them stay awake during exam
week or as a great stocking stuffer. Surveys of 104 students graded this as:
GRADE:
Overall
A
59%
B
34%
C
6%
D
0.5%
F
.05%
Activities
54%
31%
10%
3%
2%
Menu
37%
42%
16%
3%
2%
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Spring 2014 Newsletter
Ratings:
Graduation Buffet - A Tradition
Graduation buffets have been held in the Memorial Student Center ever since the current building opened its doors in 1985.
The only year these buffets were not offered was during the building closure and remodeling, January 2011 to January 2012.
There are typically two buffets for the larger May classes, one after the morning ceremony and one after the afternoon ceremony. In December due to the smaller size class, we have offered one buffet, which you can attend after your morning ceremony or prior to the afternoon ceremony. History shows that the attendance varied but during the peak years, just prior to
the closure of the MSC the attendance at the buffets would most often closely match that of the total number of graduates
with up to 1500 diners at the spring buffets.
The buffets are extremely popular with the families of graduates for several reasons. First, the location is within walking distance of the ceremony, so no need to drive and park again. Second, the price of the buffet is very reasonable and costs are
known up-front, so budgeting the expense for the celebration is easier for students and parents. After attending many families share their thanks to the UDS team for offering this buffet to simplify their planning, as it makes the day very special for
the graduate.
The menus have changed over the years it has been offered. Most recent menus have featured: Caesar salad, Greek salad,
broccoli, cole slaw, fruited gelatin, cumin rubbed pork loin, baked ziti, herb-roasted chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy,
chicken and herb stuffing, vegetable medley, assorted breads, apple crisps with whipped topping, and coffee or milk. Parents
or students can also order personalized cakes for their own table to have for dessert and buy bottles of wine or champagne
to be served with their meal. Tickets can be ordered in advance and a children’s price is also available. When guests arrive
they are seated at individual tables reserved for their party. The décor in the dining area and the special effects help set this
as a time of celebration here at UW-Stout. The December 2013 Buffet this year had 261 diners attend.
Spring 2014 Newsletter
The spring graduation buffet will be held on Saturday, May 10, 2014. Watch for info on this in early spring.
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Staff Spotlight
Donna Zerbian has worked as a Lead Worker at UW-Stout for nearly 17
Diane Ternes has worked at UW-Stout
John Sholund is a Student Manager at Student Center Dining. John
is from Merrill, WI. He is a Human Development and Family Studies
major and plans to graduate in May 2014. John would like to work at
the Family Resource Center in Eau Claire, where he could help families
build healthy families and behaviors. John enjoys working with the
friendly staff at dining service. He likes riding bike, time in the woods,
football and hanging with friends. John really enjoys cooking and
wants to learn how to knit.
Kim Hintzman has worked for 24
Jenny Lewis is a Student Manager at Price Commons.
Jenny is from East Bethel, MN. She is a packaging major and
plans to graduate in May 2015. Jenny would like to work as a
packaging engineer at a food manufacturing company. Jenny
enjoys meeting new people and has made some great friends
in dining service, who she plans on staying in touch with after
she graduates. She is very busy with school and work and has no
free time. Jenny will be moving to Green Bay now to work at
Schreiber Foods for 6 months. She will return to Stout in fall
2014 for one last awesome year at Stout and Dining Services.
years. Prior to this, Kim worked as a
cook at the Glenhaven Nursing Home,
and as an LTE at Stout. Kim started as
a service lead at Stout, then was a cook,
and is now a baker, the position she has wanted
for a long time. Kim enjoys photography and quilting,
when she has time. Kim spends a lot of time farming,
with her husband, Denny. Kim grew up in Downing,
WI, and attended Boyceville schools. She and her husband, Denny, now live on a farm in the town of MeLynn Bonjour, the Service Lead who works daily in the Fireside Cafe for
nomonie, with their dog, Rocket. Kim enjoys working early morning hours, as well as the convenience both Breakfast & Lunch, received the award of Classified Employee of the
Month for September! Chancellor Sorensen found Lynn in the MSC to
of working in dining service. Many people don’t
know that Kim has traveled internationally for many hand-deliver the award himself.
years, to many unique and interesting parts of the
Lynn's nomination read, "Lynn's attitude sets an example for
world.
other employees to keep them motivated and focused. She
strives to give the highest level of customer service and communicates and expects the same from her student team. She is
Kaylee Matucheski is a Student Manager at North
dedicated to providing the students with the necessary skills to
Point Dining. Kaylee is from Antigo, WI. She is a food
science major, and plans to graduate in May 2014. Kaylee succeed and making Dining Services a success."
would like to be a cheese maker, and her favorite cheese
is Mozzarella. Kaylee likes the convenience and wages of
working on campus. In her free time, Kaylee enjoys
movies and playing outdoors.
Congratulations again to
Lynn, a well-deserved
recipient of this honor.
DINING SERVICES
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Inspiring Innovation. Learn more at www.uwstout.edu/dining
Inspiring Innovation. Learn more at www.uwstout.edu/dining
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Spring 2014 Newsletter
for 12 years. Prior to coming to UW-Stout,
Diane was in the army for 22 years. Diane
grew up in Neillsville, WI and currently lives
in Knapp, WI. Diane takes part in the Polar
Plunge, and enjoys reading, crocheting,
bowling, and church activities. Church and
family are very important to Diane. She
enjoys the diversity of the people she encounters while working in University Dining
Service. She also enjoys creating new menus. Diane is a member of the UW-Stout
Campus Safety Committee. She will again
be supporting the Polar Plunge for Special
Olympics, February 8, 2014, at Elk Point.
Diane would like people to know that she is
not ignoring you when you talk to her, but
that she is hard of hearing.
years. Prior to this, Donna was an LTE at both Commons and Tainter dining
halls. Donna also worked in dining service at the Student Center as a night
lead, and then headed back to Tainter. She helped open the new North
Point operation, where she currently works. Donna grew up in Lublin, WI,
and currently lives in Menomonie. She enjoys making jewelry, gardening,
shopping, and decorating the interior of her home. Donna enjoys working
with the variety of employees in dining service, and building relationships
with the student managers. Family, co-workers, and pets are important to
Donna. She is a good cook, and sits down to have dinner with her family
every night.
Upcoming Events
The Roaring 20’s
On April 9, 2014, a menu that is reflective of the Roaring 1920’s will be offered at Commons and North Point.
Menu highlights will be fried chicken, meatballs, beef pot roast, cheese balls with crackers, loaded mashed
potatoes, and carrot and lemon cakes.
Mexican Meal
On February 11, 2014, Commons and North Point will offer a special dinner, with a
menu of popular Mexican cuisine items. There will be tacos with several filling and the
opportunity to build-your-own taco, along with a southwest chicken breast and sides such as Spanish rice, lime
cilantro rice, tortilla chips and cheese. Desserts will be apple churros and a traditional tres leches cake.
Menomonie Wedding Show
Spring 2014 Newsletter
University catering staff will be participating in the Menomonie Wedding Fair on Sunday, February 23, 2014,
from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. The event will be held at Vision Quest, just south of Menomonie. We will share
details on our facilities and menus, and partner with the MSC reservation and events staff to create an eyecatching display. Spread the word as we work to attract wedding parties to the Memorial Student Center.
Student Employees of the Month - Fall 2013
September
November
October
Xang Lor
Commons
Connor Hebson
North Point
Brandon Van Reese
Commons
Kristina Doran
Commons
David Lingenfelter
North Point
Christopher Lutzke
North Point
Mitchell Rath
MSC Retail
Parey Hunter
Catering
Jill Smarzinski
MSC Retail
Theresa Olson
Catering
Mallory White
MSC Retail
University Dining Service Newsletter
A UDS Publication | Spring 2014
Articles should be submitted to Jim Selz, PC 160.
Not an official document. For information only.
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Not printed at
taxpayers’ expense