Ingrid Allstrom
EDITOR IN CHIEF
The new food-service management seems to be settling in fine, and their small, temporary office in the University Center is bustling with activity in preparation for the fall. Chartwells, the university's new food-service provider, has many changes planned for the fall and spring semesters, not the least of which is a complete redesign of the UC and the UC Satellite, along with the addition of many different in-house food choices.
Chartwells will replace Aramark as the food-service provider at the University of Houston, and will also take over food-service at UH-Clear Lake and UH-Downtown.
Nick Iula is the Chartwells resident district manager for UH, and he is the man in charge of implementing the changes.
He held the same and similar positions in Florida, as well as at Northwestern University and Harvard School of Law, and he thinks a lot about food.
"This opportunity is exciting," said Iula. "There's a lot of fresh produce (in Texas)."
In his most recent position, Iula was the district manager for Chartwells in Florida. He spent most days traveling: visiting and inspecting Chartwells' many operations in Florida. Top on Iula's list of important qualities in these locations is cleanliness - he calls himself "neurotic" about sanitation, but he said, "I'm not a dictator. I'm more of a guider."
Among the changes to come in the fall will be a redesigned and renovated Satellite, as well as new venues in the UC-Underground.
Loyal Satellite visitors won't lose Taco Bell, but almost everything else will change. There will be a Subway and Pizza Hut, but there will also be in-house selections. "Steak Escape" will feature made-to-order steaks of different kinds, and "Menu-tainment" will have exhibition cooking such as stir-fry, as well as carved meats. Though the Satellite was due to be completed by the beginning of fall, it will at least be the first of September - and maybe later.
In the UC Underground, Coog's Cafe will be replaced by a Harlens Barbecue, but don't worry, you'll still be able to buy beer. Also, there will be a Wendy's, a Chick-fil-A and a European-style subway shop.
The biggest changes will be in the American Cafe, which will, in the spring, have a "Millennium 2000" theme, said Iula. The construction is scheduled for winter break, and the new venue will also have "Menu-tainment," as well as gyros, Mexican food, an Italian restaurant and an up-scale coffee bar (with Colombian Arabica coffee, just like Starbucks).
As for the greatest complaint among students about the soon-to-be-gone Aramark? Price.
"Students are usually concerned about price," said Iula. But they are more concerned with "price value."
While, he said, there's not a lot of room for price variety with national brands like Taco Bell or Wendy's, there are ways to improve that.
"Students don't feel they're getting a fair deal," he said, adding that with a sizable staff with culinary backgrounds, he hopes to change that. "We're hiring a lot of chefs and others who are committed to food quality."
There will also be lots of changes at UH-Clear Lake.
"We're removing everything and putting in a Miami Subs, a ... coffee area and a mini hot-line for hot foods," Iula said.
Marketing director Jeremy Pawlak said he realizes that he's facing an uphill battle in changing UH's attitude about its food, but, he said they're "ready for the challenge.
"We're trying to come in with a bang," he said. At the first of the fall semester, Chartwells will be raffling off a Volkswagen bug. "We want everyone to see it's something different.... The first couple of weeks will be saturated with Chartwells."