Jim Parsons
Managing Editor
The University of Houston System Board of Regents Executive Committee recommended Monday that the board reconsider its contract with food-service provider Aramark, which has held a contract with UH since 1958.
The board's June 18 vote on the matter could completely change the campus food service, a change some students have advocated for years.
The following is a chronology of events relating to Aramark and UH since the fall 1995 semester.
August 1995
A Food Facility Sanitation Inspection Report of the on-campus dining indicated several violations in all facilities.
The Horizons kitchens in Moody Towers were the worst, with 16 violations including slime in the ice machine and dishwasher and clean utensils being stored with dirty utensils on dirty shelves.
The inspections, conducted twice a year, began after an outbreak of food-borne illness left several students sick in Oberholtzer Hall in April 1991.
Other violations included plumbing problems in the Satellite and the University Center.
December 1995
A campuswide survey conducted by Aramark designed to rate its food service indicated dramatic improvements.
The overall performance rating participants gave Aramark was a 3.75 on a five-point scale, with 1 being the worst and 5 being the best.
Respondents gave Aramark excellent marks for speed of service, courtesy of employees and accuracy of service and cashiers.
Cleanliness, atmosphere, value and overall performance also drew high ratings from those surveyed, but most respondents said they would like to see food value and price value improved.
The survey drew criticism from then-SA President Dom Lewinsohn, who pointed out that it only represented students who actually chose to eat Aramark food.
February 1996
The Houston-based Horizon Group bid against Aramark for the 10-year food-service contract at UH, and both sides' presentations included some interesting proposals for improving service on campus.
Aramark's proposal included installing a branch of Kim Son in the UC and Whataburger in the Satellite in addition to a major refitting of Coog's Cafe in the UC, which might have included a major fast-food addition, possibly McDonald's.
Aramark also said it planned to open small food shops in several academic and office buildings on campus.
Horizon's proposal included a vegetarian restaurant, Fuzzy's Pizza, Frenchy's Chicken, Subway and Taqueria del Sol.
Aramark's contract was extended by the Board of Regents vote in April 1996.
January 1997
Following requests from the Food Advisory Committee to expand its services with a sandwich and food cart at the Towers, Aramark announced plans for $100,000 in campuswide food improvements at the committee's January meeting.
Among the proposed improvements was changing the convenience store in the Towers to an "express food station" selling pasta, soups and baked potatoes that would be open until midnight or later.
Then-FAC Chairman Juan Rios had brought forth concerns about hours of food-service operation in the Towers and in Oberholtzer Hall.
Other students had expressed concern about Aramark's lack of vegetarian options in its campus facilities.
The committee's concerns came after Aramark's 1996 contract extension, which was scheduled to expire in May 1997. The Board of Regents had delayed bidding on a new long-term food contract, choosing instead to offer short extensions to Aramark's present contract, negotiated in 1990.
April 1997
The Board of Regents decided once again to grant Aramark its sixth contract extension, this one good through December 1998.
The board's decision was based on the fact that it is difficult to change food-service providers at an organization as large as UH in the middle of the year, and because giving Aramark an extension would allow the board time to receive more bids for the new long-term contract.
The bidding process for the new contract had begun in fall 1996, but the board stopped it because it "did not provide the level of competition anticipated."
November 1997
It came to light in the fall 1997 semester that some Aramark convenience stores on campus had been charging tax on non-taxable items.
The confusion in pricing was attributed to incorrectly programmed cash registers, and was corrected.
March 1998
As bids once again came in for the UH food-service contract, the Board of Regents announced that, for the first time, three of the UH System campuses would be covered under the same contract.
UH, UH-Clear Lake and UH-Downtown would be served by the same food provider, a move which would save money and improve service for all the universities involved.
Days after that announcement, however, Aramark ran into rough times when approximately 125 students at Sam Houston State University fell ill and were hospitalized with symptoms associated with food poisoning.
Though no conclusive evidence was given that Aramark, SHSU's food-service provider, was at fault for the incident, city and corporate officials were investigating that possibility.