Monday
We started the first day of
our 6th week with Bob Slusher, who explained UW – Madison’s
scheduling system, Kronos. Bob explained to us how they scheduled employees before
Kronos and where they hope to go using the Kronos software. Ideally, employees
will be able to input their availability and Kronos will schedule shifts based
on this information. There are still a few bugs in the system that need to be
worked out, because currently Kronos occasionally uses availability as a suggestion.
The other main use for Kronos is a timeclock, allowing employees to punch in
and out and making it easy for management to track these punches.
After our meeting with Bob,
we met with Kelly Post, the C-store manager. She walked us through how their
C-store operates, and it was interesting to see how UW Madison’s C – store
differs from Michigan State’s C – store. For example, Michigan State has
multiple types of C – stores located around campus, including some that offer a
full grill. Here, they have one type of C – store that can be found all over
campus.
Tuesday
Tuesday, I reported to
Rheta’s for the beginning of my front of house training. I worked the lunch service with Tom, the ordering manager for Rheta’s who also dabbles in some
floor managing. We walked around, checked line signs, ensured each station had
a sanitation bucket, and made sure the dining hall was ready for service. When
lunch began, we greeted guests and directed them to different stations. We
continued to walk around and make sure each station had what they needed. After
lunch service was done, I assisted Tom with some inventory. When dinner service
rolled around, I worked with Tony, the unit chef, who was in charge of front of
house management. As during lunch, we walked around to
the stations, making sure they were fully stocked with food, supplies, and sufficient staff. More so during dinner than lunch, I often went to the kitchen to
request backups of food and deliver them to swamped stations. I also jumped in to serve when necessary to assist the flow of guests through the dining hall.
Wednesday
I took a break from front
of house training to work with Barb, the ordering manager at Gordon Dining and
Events Center. Barb demonstrated how she uses CBORD to create order schedules,
which she then reviews to make sure what is being ordered is what the dining
hall actually needs. Barb showed me a few tricks she has up her sleeve in case
order schedules are not properly created so she can still figure out generally
what should be ordered. In addition, she demonstrated how to figure out why
they are ordering specific items using the upcoming menus and other features in
CBORD.
I also attended my third
allergen meeting, in which the committee discussed in detail the allergen free
equipment each station would need. We also talked about how full time and
student employees will be trained to recognize and properly use such equipment,
and how much of this training would be necessary. I never realized how much
thought and careful consideration goes into planning for guests with serious
allergies, and it has opened my eyes to a crucial lesson that I will carry into
my future career!
Thursday
I reported to Gordon to
continue my front of house training with Bill Eastwood. Bill and I walked
around during breakfast as he explained his technique for floor management, and he showed me what to look for when making rounds on the dining hall, such as food
pieces on the floor, or spills on counters. Bill also explained that his
philosophy as a floor manager is to have constant communication between
himself, the chefs, other floor managers, and student supervisors. He explained
that he likes to know exactly what is happening in the building at all times,
so when an issue arises he knows exactly what the solution will be. I was able
to test his philosophy during lunch service by working as a floor manager:
I
walked around the dining hall, making sure each station had the supplies they
needed and asking if they had any questions, comments, or concerns about the
upcoming service. When the guests started pouring in, I stepped back as Bill
had shown me and supervised by looking at what was going on in the entire dining hall. I also helped direct
the flow of guests to where there was available seating while maintaining
communication with the other floor managers and supervisors. Bill has given me some unique and beneficial insight on
what makes a superior floor manager!
After the lunch service was
over, I helped Bill and the Student Employment Manager, Morgan, orchestrate a
surprise ice cream social appreciation for the staff. We made a quick trip to
The Babcock Dairy Store to pick up the ice cream, set up the event, and served ice cream to the employees:
I really enjoyed helping the management staff show their appreciation for the hard work everyone accomplishes on a daily basis.
Friday
Kaylene and I had the opportunity to tour the Babcock Dairy Plant and learn how they make cheese, ice cream, and milk:
Our tour guide, Ray, explained that they take the fat out of
milk to create skim milk so they are able to start with a consistent product. They
add cream back to increase the fat content for 1%, 2%, and chocolate milk. Ray
showed us the equipment used to pasteurize, homogenize, and bottle the milk:
We also walked through the
cheese making section, in which the dairy plant employs an award winning cheese
maker. Unfortunately they were not making cheese during our tour, but we were
able to see their cheese cellar, in which a variety of cheeses are aged before
being sold. The last stop on our tour was the ice cream making section! Ray
explained that they still hand pump their ice cream into cartons, which is
considered to be old fashioned. We were able to try some fresh Butter Pecan ice
cream, which was absolutely delicious! I don’t know if any future ice cream can
compare to how velvety smooth and creamy this ice cream was:
After our tour, we met with
Monica Theis, a professor in the Food Science department at UW – Madison.
Monica is also a Registered Dietitian and teaches a few classes for the
Dietetics students, such as a foodservice operations lab! She gave us a tour of
the lab used in this class, which has standard culinary equipment as well as large
scale equipment that is found in dining halls:
The final project for this
class is a theme dinner, so Monica picked our brains about planning a theme
meal in a condensed timeline. Monica also told us about her involvement in the
community, such as offering wellness classes for the UW Police Department and
partnering with a local food pantry that sells produce grown by its members. Her
projects were of great interest to me and I hope we are able to work with her
in the future!
Kaylene and I spent the rest
of the afternoon working on our projects, including our theme lunch and
marketing plan for the Partnership for a Healthier America initiative. Both are
coming together very nicely, with only a few details left to finalize on each
project!
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