Suggestion Topics:

Food Services

Below are suggestions received by the Communication Committee from either the suggestion boxes or the online Web form. Some suggestions have been summarized to save space or avoid repetition when more than one person has commented about similar issues. We read and refer each suggestion. If the suggestion maps to the charge of one of the Communication Committee Task Forces, it is sent to that chairperson for inclusion in the Task Force's deliberations. If a suggestion relates to a functional area of SLAC, it is sent to someone who can respond to that suggestion. Referrals are preceded by the word REFERRED. RESPONSES from the people to whom a suggestion has been referred are included when available.

The Suggestions below share the theme of food and food services:

SUGGESTION: Fermilab has it, (or used to) seems that this idea works here too! Let us get small pads of paper and keep a pad on each table in the cafeteria. This will involve small expenses, and require cooperation from contract operator of cafeteria. I know that printing houses used to have these available for really cheap in random sizes made from leftover paper stock from customer orders. In any case, I am tired of having all of our good ideas (which were drawn on the serving tray) going into the dishwasher to be sanitized away.
REFERRED: To P. Kreitz as co-chair, Communications Committee who is working with the suggestor and the Cafeteria management to implement this.

SUGGESTION THEME: Vending Machines -- Access to Food 24 hours/day -- Cafeteria and Main Control Center:
--Put in vending machines that serve real food (1+++ suggestions)
--It is nice that coffee is available 24 hours/day. However, it would be nice if food would also be available.
--Thank you Roger and others who provide the MCC coffee server -- what a life saver!!
--Let the EOIC or the MCC key safe have a key to get at the coffee & creamer. Physics is about to grind to a halt. All the swing shift is in jeopardy...
--Add more vending machines & add variety (esp. Pepsi) to vending machines. Please re-institute low-fat selections.
--Please stock Dr. Pepper in the soda machines. It used to be there.
--Serve donuts at least three times a week with Gourmet Coffee in the MCC.
REFERRED: Sigrun Williams, SLAC Cafeteria Manager
RESPONSE: Discussed the specific suggestions with Sigrun. She went around with the people stocking the machines to discover what they contained and where they were located. The vending machine company will bring back Pepsi, Dr. Pepper, Sprite and low-fat snack choices. She cannot add more machines or different types of machines without a change in her company's contract with SLAC. Editor is investigating how to pursue this further.

SUGGESTION: Please supply the MCC kitchen with larger coffee cups with fold-out handles. My suggestion would benefit those of us who have to carry two of the smaller cups back to the office.
REFERRED: This request has been passed on to Roger Erickson who individually pays for, stocks, and manages the 'free' coffee at the MCC. (Editor's note: The accelerators (PEPII and SSRL's) are the sine qua non of the Laboratory. It seems to me that they should be the prime places at SLAC where at least hot coffee and tea are available 7X24 supported by the Lab. This is my own opinion and does not reflect any 'official' position!)

SUGGESTION: SLAC needs a 24-hour a day cafe or cafeteria. We need a place where we can eat a decent meal at al hours and where we can relax with a nice hot cup of coffee. This machine is on 24/7, yet after 1:30 pm I'm screwed and have to drive to Sharon Heights or further. Going offsite takes a significant amount of time. Such a place would really help with a sense of life when you have to be here so many hours. Universities can do it, why can't we?
REFERRED: Sigrun Willliams, SLAC Cafeteria Manager. Will be referred next to Cafeteria contract manager
RESPONSE: Sigrun indicated that the Cafeteria tried to stay open later in the afternoon for one month. She felt they advertised it widely, but lost a great deal of staff labor dollars on the experiment as well as had to throw out a lot of un-purchased food. She is very reluctant to try to do this again as an independent experiment. If SLAC wants this service, it must negotiate for it in the cafeteria contract.

McDunn
18 Jan 2002 04:01 PM