The Muhlenberg Weekly

Issue date: 3/22/07 Section: News

If you have been downstairs in Seegers Union recently, you have probably noticed the signs for Sandella's, the new dining facility in The Red Door. Sandella's first opened its doors on Mon., March 12, the day after Spring Break. It offers some unique items which can not be found in the General's Quarters or Garden Room, including the very popular Chicken Fajita Quesadilla or Smoked Bacon Pizza. For the vegetarians on campus, Sandella's offers a number of options like the Veggie Quesadilla or the Hummus Wrap. Sandella's is located in The Red Door and its hours are Mon-Thurs from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m..

Glenn Gerchman, Director of Dining Services, explains that when deciding what food to serve at Sandella's, dining services tried to pick options that would satisfy a mass portion of the Student Body. They also tried to choose foods that were slightly different to what is normally served on campus. "Students have been telling us that they want more variety with the food. We wanted to bring in something that was a little more unique and not just the typical burgers and fries that you can get in the GQ or Garden Room," said Gerchman.

It was also very important that Sandella's was set up as quickly and efficiently as possible. Gerchman explained, "We wanted to combat the lines in GQ, and Sandella's was a quick solution to fixing this problem. We believe that the long lines are largely due to scheduling issues but unfortunately, that issue can not be helped until the fall of 2007." Most people agree that Sandella's has at least, temporarily, helped the crowds that can normally be seen in GQ from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.. Lois Zielinski, a Sodexho employee who works at the General's Quarters confirms that "the majority of students seem to be going to Sandella's now. I just heard one of the chefs at the grill commenting about how his job has gotten a little easier since Sandella's opened. I have also noticed that the lines are no longer going out the door like they were before."

The process of adding Sandella's to the College first began a few months ago when a food preference survey was passed out among the Student Body. Todd Snyder, the District Manager of Food Services explained that he was impressed when 700 students responded to the survey. He said, "Feedback from the food surveys really helped lead us down the path to what sort of food alternative should be available. The next step was to take a group of Student Council members on a tour of the different food options in the Lehigh Valley area." The Student Council members were taken to Lehigh University, Ursinus College and Moravian College, which are all supplied by Sodexho. The students took taste tests and rated which food items were their favorites.

Continued...

Page 1 of 2 next >

Article Tools