Food waste reduction program implemented at Brody Square

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As construction dust begins to settle following the opening of Brody Square, officials are discovering more food than thought remaining at a conclusion of a meal.

With nine different venues and about 1,000 seats available in many different arrangements, the Brody Complex’s cafeteria has been a great success in MSU’s experiment in Residential Hospitality Services’ plan to integrate cafeterias with residential neighborhoods, said Bruce Haskell, associate director of the Department of Residential Dining. But with the options available in the new cafeteria, officials are finding all of the food being prepared is not being consumed, leading to an inflated amount of waste.

When the cafeteria officially opened Aug. 29, about 7,500 meals were served to students, parents and the public. Since then, a target number of about 5,500 to 6,000 meals can be served without major interruptions, Haskell said.

“We are handling those numbers very carefully and we are building for a potential expansion (of meals served) when classrooms come back online” in Brody Hall next fall, he said. “Our next step is to touch every building with the level Brody Square experiences. I could not be more pleased.”

On day one, about 2,500 servings of sushi were served at the S2: Salad and Sushi venue and more than 2,000 pounds of protein were distributed, according to officials at MSU’s Physical Plant Construction Junction meeting Thursday.

While the cafeteria’s chefs continue to dish food out to residents and others in the MSU community, there have been unintended consequences of food waste at the cafeteria.

“Right now it’s such a big wow. It’s nine different venues and everyone is eating with their eyes,” said Kurt Kwiatkowski, corporate chef for MSU Culinary Services.
“Everyone is taking a bit or maybe a bit and a half of everything. We’re putting out some great food and then all the guests want to try all that good food, that’s really what it boils down to.”

On Monday, MSU officials implemented a waste reduction program to cut costs and inform the community of eating moderately at Brody Square, said Carla Iansiti, sustainability manager for MSU Culinary Services.

It is unknown how much money is being wasted or will be saved during this program, she said.

“We’re trying to gauge the amount of waste and get it under control at the new site,” Iansiti said.

“We are asking the customers to scrape the uneaten portion of the food and then we’ll weigh it and chart it (visibly) for our guests.”

Awareness programs have been successful at other universities across the country, so with that hope in mind, the program will spread throughout MSU’s other cafeterias in a matter of a few weeks, Iansiti said.

When The Gallery in Snyder and Phillips halls opened in 2007, students came in droves — comparable to what Brody Square experiences now — but with far less seating at 537 seats, Kwiatkowski said.

MSU officials and chefs each will continue to monitor the progress of their newest creation and make further adjustments where necessary, he said.
“Brody has been open for just two weeks (and) to change something would be a little bit of a knee-jerk reaction,” Kwiatkowski said. “(Any changes) will be more behind the scenes to make things run a little better from the backside.”

Psychology freshman Brittany Lutren said although she tries not to waste her meals at Brody Square, the wide selection of food adds to the cafeteria’s experience.

“I think the food is good and each one of the stations are unique,” Lutren said. “I cannot wait to see the other cafeterias offer the same across campus.”

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