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The Inside Scoop at Gourmet Dining

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MarketPlace in Rowan University’s Student Center

This week on Profs Plate, we interviewed Josh Stokem, a former employee at Gourmet Dining. Here is the conversation we had about his experience working on campus, the food, and the services offered at Rowan University.

Tell our viewers a little about yourself.

My names is Josh Stokem. I am from Haskell, NJ but I currently reside as a
resident in Glassboro. I am a Lakeland Regional High School Alumni, Class
of 2016 and a Rowan University Alumni, Class of 2018 with a Bachelor’s of
Science in Marketing. I am 21 years old and have striven to do whatever it
takes to have a better future for myself. I am the youngest of 4 siblings
growing up in a single parent household.

How did you start working for Gourmet Dining?

I started working with Gourmet Dining Services back in Spring 2017. I was
actually attending an SGA meeting for DECA, which I’m not sure whether or
not an active organization on campus anymore is, and the RDM, Resident
District Manager, Elizabeth Jordan, had asked the group of students if they
knew of anyone that was interested in a part time office job, and I
immediately jumped to the occasion. I was 18 at the time and had a lot of
prior experience with secretarial work since I had worked in a law firm
since I was 17 doing basic office tasks. I was soon offered the position as a
“Data Analyst” and worked directly in Holly Pointe doing simple filing,
organization, and inventory tasks. I soon was recognized for my hard work
and was asked if I was interested in doing Marketing, which was what I was
going for school for, so I took the opportunity and flourished within the
company.

How long did you work for Gourmet Dining? What are some of the positions you have held?

I worked at Gourmet Dining Services from February 2017 until later
December 2018, a little shy of 2 years. I went from Data Analyst, to
Marketing Administrator, and remained the title of Marketing Administrator
but was very shortly given managerial responsibilities, along with
managerial hours and availability.

What is your favorite meal on campus?

Since I was an employee for Gourmet Dining, I was able to eat for free at all
food locations campus wide so I was able to try everything. Personally, I
will always have a soft spot for the Bacon Chicken Ranch pizza at Holly
Pointe, Glassworks Eatery, but for a meal from the Student Center, I would
say that I tend to go to the “Pop-Up” station quite often.

Where did the idea of Tapingo come from?

The idea of Tapingo was first brought to our attention when we were going for
the Rider University Bid and we had saw what technology they were using
that was most convenient for students. Our generation of Students live on
our phones, so why not make it the way of ordering food! There was so
much success with Tapingo at Montclair State University, which at the time was the same Food Vendor as Rider University, so we decided to adapt to the
mobile usage after looking at the pros and cons.

What is the general consensus among Gourmet Dining employees about Tapingo?

Gourmet Dining employees are not too thrilled about the Tapingo app
because they feel as though they have lost the personal connection they
would gain with customers as they were waiting in line for their meals, now
they wait around until their food is ready, grab and go. Unfortunately, as a
student and an employee I was able to see both sides of the spectrum. I
loved the quick aspect and the reasoning behind Tapingo, but I also loved
seeing my friends while at work and being able to catch up with each other
since I had such a tight schedule.

What do you think Rowan does well with its food services offered on campus?

Believe it or not, I love the variety that Rowan offers when it comes to the
food offered on campus. For most of us, it is hard to understand that we
live on a college campus and we can not expect to have 5-star restaurant
quality food. Gourmet Dining is also not funded by Rowan University, so
when students claim “why pay tuition for this” it simply does not make
sense because that money is not going to the Food Vendor, regardless if
Gourmet Dining was here or Aramark (just another food vendor). Rowan
has Gluten free options, Vegan friendly, a personal dietitian, and so much
more! They try to bring a flavor of culture every now and then, and do listen
to students, students just don’t reach out appropriately in my opinion.

Where do you feel improvements need to be made on Rowan’s food services?

I feel like my personal improvements are more on the managerial to
employee side then the student side. The one thing I do think that Gourmet
Dining needs to improve on is their reputation on campus. There needs to
be a stronger connection with the student body because ultimately, the
success for a food vendor on a college campus is to listen to your
audience, your students, not to listen to the “we have always done it this
way.” Change is key.

Thank you Josh for your sharing your experiences and insightful commentary on the food services offered at Rowan University!

Also, thanks to our viewers for checking out the blog this week. Good luck to all of our viewers preparing for finals this week. Next week will be our final farewell post from us to end the semester.

Holly Pointe Starbucks is Offered Through Tapingo App (finally)

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Happy hump day!  If you are looking for a good meal and coffee as early finals studying fuel, Starbucks is finally offered on the Tapingo app.  This is super exciting news for all of us Starbucks lovers out there. (Why couldn’t they have done this at the beginning of the semester?)  It’s even better for the broke college student, like me, since the Starbucks takes any meal plan as payment. This week on Profs Plate, we will be reviewing the food and service at the Holly Pointe Starbucks.

The app offers both the regular menu for anyone and the meal exchange menu for students that have a meal plan.  The meal exchange menu at Starbucks includes a bagel with cream cheese, egg & bagel sandwich, egg & cheese bagel sandwich, turkey sausage, egg, & cheese bagel sandwich, sausage, egg, & cheese bagel sandwich, and a bacon, egg, & cheese bagel sandwich.  The meal exchange menu offers many options. The meal also comes with a hash brown and drink. Drinks include water, small iced or hot coffee, and small hot tea. The regular menu has the same classics as any Starbucks including Bagels & Sweets, Cold Beverages, Hot Beverages, and Frappuccinos.

Today, I headed over to Holly Pointe to try it out.  I decided to order my food before heading over to the library.  I personally enjoyed the turkey sausage, egg, and cheese breakfast sandwich.  Compared to the other vendors on the Tapingo app, the food looked real and didn’t make me feel sick.  However, the wait for my order wasn’t enjoyable. While you can order the food in advance, it doesn’t give you an accurate wait time.  It told me that there was 5 orders ahead of me and that my order would be done in about 5 minutes. Instead, I ended up waiting for 20 minutes when there was only a few orders before mine.  I was annoyed with the long wait but there was only two employees working behind the register. Now that Holly Pointe offers Starbucks on the app, I think they need to have a few more workers to accommodate for the to-go orders and the customers in line.  Even though I will be back to order food from the Holly Pointe Starbucks, I would not suggest to do it when you’re in a rush.

Meal exchange comes with drink, hash brown, and bagel sandwich

We also received some thoughts from a current student at Rowan University.  Kate, a freshman Law and Justice major, had some positive opinions about the Holly Pointe Starbucks.  She said, “The service is a little slow and takes awhile to get but overall it’s convenient for me because I live in Holly Pointe.  I like how it comes with a good amount of food. The sausage, egg, and cheese on a bagel is so good, and it comes with a hash brown, a small coffee or water.  It’s definitely worth the meal swipe!”

Should the Barnes and Noble Starbucks hop on board with serving food and drinks on the Tapingo App?  Here on Profs Plate we are driven by your input and feedback. Talk to us through our Blog, Instagram, or Facebook!

Tips for Eating Healthy on Campus

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For college students, like myself, it is extremely difficult to keep up with everything between class, work, clubs, and having a social life.  I occasionally find myself falling victim to eating fast food when I am extremely busy or stressed out over school. This past year, I have become much more mindful on the things I have been putting into my body.  If you’re not mindful about your diet, it can be very easy to gain weight. Additionally, it is important to keep up on your own health and wellness especially with finals right around the corner. This week we will be giving some tips on maintaining healthy eating habits while on Rowan University’s main campus.

Research the Food

Homepage of Dine On Campus at Rowan

This tip was previously mentioned over on our Profs Plate Facebook.  This page was created through Gourmet Dining to show the food options offered on campus.  On this website, https://www.dineoncampus.com/rowan/whats-on-the-menu, you can find what is on the menu for the day on Rowan University’s main campus.  On the menu, it lists each food vendor at the Market Place along with the meal options at the Holly Pointe Caf.  Next to certain food items are symbols that represent food that has balanced nutrients & portion size (balanced), vegan menu options that are free of all animal-based ingredients and by-products, and food that doesn’t contain solid meat but may contain eggs or dairy (vegetarian).  Along with the symbols, calorie counts and portion sizes are listed next to the meals. This is a perfect resource to determine what you want to eat along with being mindful of healthy meal options.

Drink Water

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While this tip is a simple one, it is easy to choose the caffeinated, sugary drinks over water.  While there are a variety of Pepsi products offered on campus, water is always your friend. It is commonly recommended to drink eight 8 ounce glasses of water daily.  While the sugar and caffeine will keep you going throughout the day to work on various assignments, this can lead to weight gain and other negative health effects. Nobody wants to experience the freshman fifteen, so it is best to moderate your intake of soft drinks and coffee.

Substitute the Cookie for Fruit

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While we can all say that we love the cookies from Jersey Mike’s, it isn’t as nutritious as the apple and banana option.  Grabbing a piece of fruit instead is a great snack to have for later in between classes. Having a healthy snack with you eliminates stopping at Ro-Go or any of the other snack places for an alternative.  Also, eating fruit will sustain your energy longer throughout the day and have you feeling fuller than choosing to eat a cookie.

Even making small changes to your diet can be beneficial for your well being.  A key to leading a healthy lifestyle is to eat and drink things in moderation. Do you have any tips for other fellow students?  Share your experiences on ways to eat healthy in college. These thoughts can be submitted here in the comment box below!

Review on Tapingo App

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Tapingo is the smartphone app that allows Rowan students to order food on the go through the campus Marketplace.  While Tapingo is suppose to make ordering food more efficient, there are some disadvantages that come with the application.  This week we will be weighing in on the pros and cons of the Tapingo app.

Advantages:

Order Food from Anywhere

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In class? Studying at the library?  At the gym? Order food from any of these places through the Tapingo app.  With food apps, it makes ordering food much more convenient. Through the app, it tells you the wait time for each vendor.  Ordering on the go eliminates the time you would be spending in line for your food.

Easily Customizable Food Orders

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Customization allows the customer to pick what they want and get what they want.  If you want cheese on your burrito bowl? Add it. If you don’t want lettuce on your Jersey Mike’s sub?  Remove it. Allowing customers to build orders catered to them keeps the possibilities endless.

Can be Purchased Using Meal Plans or Credit Cards

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On the Tapingo app, food can be purchased using any meal plan.  In addition, you can also pay using a debit/credit card. This choice is great for commuters or any students and faculty that do not have a meal plan.  In the app, click on the sidebar and go to payment methods. You can easily add your Rowan card or credit card as payment options.

Disadvantages:

Inaccurate Wait Times

Many students experience the inaccurate wait times for their food through the Tapingo app.  This can be extremely unfair when you have somewhere to be such as class. Nobody wants to wait for their food an additional 5-10 minutes or show up for their food late that is now starting to become cold.

Missing Food Orders

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This happened to me when I ordered food from Chef Jet.  I ordered my food and went right over to the vendor as soon as the app told me it was ready.  Once I get there, I look at the order numbers and none of them are mine. I stand in front of the food pick-up area and wait for 5 minutes.  I notice that the order numbers are going up and my food still isn’t ready. Another student next to me was waiting for their food too.  We both were waiting the same amount of time and both of our orders were missing! After 15 minutes went by, we both went up to one of the workers and told them what happened.  The worker apologized and quickly got us our food. Unfortunately, the noodles I ordered with my meal were gone so I had to pick something else. This can be extremely frustrating when you don’t receive the food you ordered and waited longer than necessary.

Receiving the Review Days Later

It’s great that you can give a review on the food; however, the review shows up on your phone days later.  Sometimes it is hard to even remember what you ate days ago. When I go back onto the app, I will quickly click through the review not paying much attention.  The review allows you to rate the food out of 5 stars. If you give the food less than 5 stars, the app will give you a list of what went wrong with your food along with a box for additional comments.  Since the review shows up days later, it lends itself a few questions. Do they really look at these reviews? If so, are they really improving their food and services?

Let us know your thoughts and experiences using the Tapingo app!

Calling Popular Food Chains as Meal Options

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Welcome back from spring break everyone!  Hope everyone had an enjoyable break away from school.  From visiting other friends college campuses, I began to notice the popular food chains their school offered as meal options: Chick-fil-a, Jamba Juice, etc.  This made me wonder why Rowan University doesn’t bring some of these successful food chains onto campus? That’s why this week’s topic will be on the reasons Rowan’s Gourmet Dining should bring popular food chains onto campus as a Tapingo option.  

Image result for chick-fil-a

The taste, variety, and accessibility of food are key factors that play into a college student’s decision for the next meal purchased on campus.

Taste is always an important factor when deciding what to eat.  Taste is the reason why eating is an enjoyable experience. One of the reasons that these food chains are popular is due to the tasty food and beverages that are made.  Students want food that has a fresh quality and taste which can be provided through these food chains that take pride on the food they serve their customers.

A variety of food options on a college campus is not only appealing to current students but prospective students as well.  Hearing that a school has a variety of food options, such as a Panera Bread, could be an additional factor of interest in a university.  Everyone has different tastes when it comes to food. A university

Image result for panera

should be able to cater to the student’s need especially when it comes to food options.

While the closest Dunkin’ and Chick-fil-a are a short drive away, it would be more accessible if offered on Rowan’s main campus.  Freshman are required to have meal plans when living on campus their first year and can’t have a car living on campus (unless they provide the university a valid reason).  This limits new students on what kind of meals that are available to them. In addition, not all college students own a car. This means if you want to go eat at these places you either find a ride or you walk there.  While it’s great that these food chains are close to our school, it would be better if Rowan would bring them onto campus so that it is available for all its students.

Not only would recognizable food chains be a benefit to Rowan students, it would also be a benefit for the university and partnered companies.  If reliable food chains were offered on campus, upperclassman might be more inclined to purchase a meal plan. This results in more money going to campus dining and the university.  I know some friends of mine that have cancelled their meal plans halfway through the semester. They cancelled their meal plans entirely because of being dissatisfied with the food options on campus.  Additionally, popular food chains on campus would draw students to eating at these places. This is because students are loyal customers of these places and already love their food and beverages.

What food chains would you like to see as option at Rowan University?  Let us know in the comment box below.

Five Favorites at Tapingo

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Welcome back everyone! This week, I will be ranking my five favorite meals at Tapingo.  If you are debating on what meals are worth it at Tapingo, you might want to check out this article.  Here is the list from number 5 to number 1…

5: Chicken Tenders from Grill Nation


Rating: 2/5

Who doesn’t love chicken tenders and fries?  That’s why the chicken tenders from Grill Nation make it on the list at number 5.  As a freshman, this was my go to meal. While it’s not the healthiest option, it will fulfill your craving of crispy, fried food.  The chicken tenders are always a hit, but the fries can be hit or miss. Sometimes the fries can either be over done or soggy. That’s why this meal is at the number 5 spot because of the fries.R

4: Chocolate Chip Pancakes from Brkfst & Co.


Rating: 2.5/5

If you’re in the mood for breakfast food, pancakes are the move from Brkfst & Co. claiming the number 4 spot.  The pancakes are soft and fluffy making them a great option. The chocolate chips make them even more delicious.  The chocolate chip pancakes claim the number 4 because it is a heavy meal to have throughout the day.

3: Pizza from Crust

Rating: 3/5

While it is not the best pizza you can get in New Jersey, the pizza from Crust took me by surprise when I had it.  The crust pizza falls at number 3 on my list for that reason. Pictured are the buffalo chicken and plain pizza slices.  I liked how the plain slice is thin and had the right amount of cheese on it. The buffalo chicken slice I will consider getting next time.  I felt the chicken was clumped into certain areas of the pizza and wasn’t spread throughout. The hot sauce was also not consistent throughout the pizza.  If you’re feeling pizza, I would recommend getting the plain slice from Crust.

2:  Mini Turkey Sub from Jersey Mike’s

Rating: 3.5/5

The mini number 7 is a classic sandwich at Jersey Mike’s which lands its spot at number 2.  My order consists of the mini turkey sub, mike’s way with mayo. While they load as much as they can on the mini subs, it can take away from the sandwich.  From all the oils and mayo, it can make the sandwich soggy. Also, be prepared for the mess it will create. The turkey, cheese, and lettuce are always fresh which makes it a tasty meal.  The added bonus to any Jersey Mike’s subs are the cookies. Peep the chocolate chip cookie in the background.

1: Burrito from Sono

Rating: 4.5/5

Sono makes it to number 1 on my list because of its reliability.  My burrito order typically consists of a wheat wrap, chicken rice, pinto beans, sour cream, cheese, and chipotle mayo.  At Sono, the food rarely disappoints me like the other vendors offered through Tapingo. It’s no wonder why the wait for Sono during the week is 30+ minutes.  However, it doesn’t make the 5/5 ranking because of the chicken. Sometimes, the chicken is accidentally overcooked which can really ruin a burrito with some burnt meat.  Nobody wants to take a bite into something and crunch down onto a hard piece of chicken. Overall, I am huge Mexican food fan and would order the burrito over any other food option at Tapingo.

Now, we want to hear from you.  Comment your favorite Tapingo meals below!