Profit out, quality in
James Muir

Food Services at Laurier is poised to take the most significant step towards improving and updating in its history.

Tabled at Tuesday's Board of Governors meeting was the Food Services Action Plan. The document enumerated a 14 point plan for the overhaul of the ailing department.

At the request of the Assistant Vice-President:Student Services/Dean of Stu-dents David McMurray, a Visiting Directors Evaluation Team toured the operations of Laurier's food services and formulated a recommendations paper. From this paper a management team consisting of McMurray, Director of Housing Mike Belanger, Director of Food Services Donna Faulkner, and Glennice Snyder developed the specific 14 point plan to be implemented immediately.

"In the past the focus was primarily on profit, the focus is now on quality and service," said McMurray of the initiative.

Students will see changes as soon as September. Satisfying the imperative need of yet another caffeine distributor is a Tim Horton's cart tentatively to be situated across from 1E1.

The existing meal plan will be redesigned to produce a menu with a focus on nutrition, healthy choices and current trends. The operational hours of Laurier's food vendors will be reviewed and extended particularly in the evening and on weekends.

In the upcoming year there will be no distinction between alternative dollars and prime monies - students will pay the overhead up front and get reduced prices on foodstuffs.

Perhaps the most ambitious plan is to physically replace the existing meal card with a new "Laurier One" card. This card will be more durable and omni-faceted and will be used, initially, exclusively for food expenses.

However, in succeeding years the card could be used at the Bookstore, for laundry/dry cleaning, for groceries and convenience, taxi, parking and at a hair salon.

"We want to expand our meal card off campus in a number of different capacities," said McMurray.

The change is admitted by McMurray to be sorely overdue. Speaking of the meal card computer: "the current system is 10 years old, plus it is not Y2K compliant. We are in a wonderful situation to go with the best."

This alteration should also save students money in the long run. "We want to offer discounts," said McMurray, adding that "students will be able to save significant dollars by putting money on their Laurier card which is similar to a debit card."

The Action Plan outlines various stages of the comprehensive initiative. In the long-run the Dining Hall will be completely overhauled.

"It is an absolute disaster," said McMurray of the outdated student cafeteria. "It was built for 400, but right now we are serving 1500."

Renovations of this space are planned for the summer of 2000 and will cost approximately $2.5 million. A full-blown concept still has to be made, but the improvement will manifest itself in three main areas: production, serving and seating.

The comprehensive Action Plan also outlines the physical space renovations aesthetic and organizational concerns.

Plans for the Concourse will alight on its status as a student mecca.

"It is the crossroads of the campus but it needs work, we want to make it a place people really want to be," said McMurray.

Preliminary plans call for raising the roof and adding more sky lights in an attempt to "open it up and make it roomier."

Connected with this plan is to move Purple and Gold to the Bookstore with textbooks being moved to the basement. The current Purple and Gold location will then be turned into an upscale (wait for it) coffee house.

"We want to focus on hospitality, we've never done that before," said McMurray.