Adrian Northrup

Dressed neatly in business attire, a man industriously works in his office behind a computer screen, surrounded by stacks of reports. His professional nature blends seamlessly into his environment and makes it hard for one to imagine him working anywhere else.

Later, that same man is seen with an apron over his white shirt and black pants, working among the fiery grills and boiling pots in one of the campus cafeterias.

This man is Gary Prellwitz, the food service director on campus who oversees all dining operations. Hesaid he likes to see that everything goes well.

“You have to work from satisfaction first,” Prellwitz said.

Sodexho is a French multinational company that has provided the food service on campus since signing a one-year contract, with six automatic renewals in June 2002.

At UW-Eau Claire, many students spend money to eat on campus, so satisfaction has been a topic of discussion between students and Sodexho. In response, Sodexho has tried to provide feedback and make improvements for students who both like and dislike the value of the food provided on campus.

Some students have expressed concern over the quality, nutritional and monetary value of the company’s food. Other students have given compliments pertaining to the variety of food offered by Sodexho and the improvements it has made over the years.

Sophomore Maxel Schultz feels the food needs more flavoring.

“I was having pasta today and it didn’t taste like anything,” he said. “Just like water.”

Other students, like sophomore Johnathan Chase, have complained about the number of overpriced products at the Hilltop food court.

Chase feels the price of food at Hilltop is ironic considering college students usually do not have a lot of money. A can of Pringles, for example, can be bought at Hilltop for $1.99 or at Wal-Mart for 99 cents, he said.

Likewise, junior Rebecca Dutkiewicz said that a pint of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream can be bought at Hilltop for $4.29 or at Target for $2.50.

When asked about the allegedly high prices at Hilltop, Prellwitz said he does not get the same bulk pricing grocery stores do. Instead, he said he is only able to buy items by the piece.

Senior Karen Fiedler, a former employee of Sodexho, wishes the workers would make sure their dishes are dry at the cafeterias before students use them.

Senior Brandon Wipperfurth, a former member of the Blugold Dining Services committee, said he would like to see healthier food in the cafeterias. Last year, Wipperfurth conducted his own independent study on the main courses in the cafeteria and concluded, “The saturated fat is three to four times higher than what it should be.”

Wipperfurth also said he would like to see the difference in quality between the upper and lower campus cafeterias become more equal. He feels the food on lower campus is better.

However, not all students are up in arms about Sodexho.

“I think they have a good selection,” freshman Courtney Spangler said. “In the cafeteria, they usually have two or three entr‚es.”

Spangler also said the food provided at Eau Claire is better than the food offered at other college campuses she has visited, including UW-Stevens Point and UW-Whitewater.
In order to respond to the variety of opinions on campus, Sodexho has attempted to make continuous improvements, while listening and responding to comments and concerns expressed by students through various outlets.

Recent cafeteria improvements made by Sodexho, said Prellwitz, include new paint and furniture, a greater attempt to preserve vegetarian options, the availability of soy milk, a continuously expanding fruit and salad bar and an increasing appearance of healthier stir-fry.

Outside of the cafeterias, Prellwitz says several food service venues have changed and a greater number of products are now offered at the food courts.

Sodexho has made improvements and donations despite the financial losses the company has posted every year it has been on campus. Prellwitz partially attributes these losses to the low contract bid Sodexho placed with the university in 2002.

Prellwitz said he is proud of the charities Sodexho supports. The food service provider recently participated in “Cans Across America,” a national food drive.

Prellwitz said Sodexho donated pizza and coffee to blood drives and donates a portion of the money it earns on its annual Soup and Bread Night to charity. After last semester’s Soup and Bread Night, Sodexho donated approximately $1,400 to Feed My People of Eau Claire.

Students can provide feedback to Sodexho by either writing on the designated pieces of paper placed outside of the cafeterias, by talking with cafeteria managers, by commenting electronically on the dining service Web site or by taking their comments and concerns to the Blugold Dining Services Committee, which meets at 5 p.m. Mondays in Davies Center’s Alumni Room.