Upon returning from the first semester at college, it is rather common to discover that your once-in-shape friends are now a bit plumper than you remember. Perhaps that weight gain is due to a newfound appreciation for Easy Mac or one too many late-night runs to Dunkin Donuts. However, unlike many other schools, that dreaded first-year fat could not be attributed to St. John’s University- until, perhaps, now.
At the end of last semester, it was announced that St. John’s would be severing ties with its previous food supplier, Aramark, and seeking out a new company, due in-large to the community’s overt dissatisfaction with the food. Under the new company, Sodexho, it will be interesting to see what types of changes are implemented by the time September rolls around. Hopefully, both Montgoris and Marillac will have undergone some major menu reconstruction, complete with food that actually looks edible and does not empty the already-empty wallets of the average St. John’s student.
Prior to deciding to attend this University, many students are drawn in by the allure of the impressive architecture that is Montgoris Dining Hall, or the fact that Marillac Cafeteria offers Taco Bell, Burger King, and Quiznos.
However, the novelty of a pretty dining hall quickly disappears, as does your hard-earned money in the fast food smorgasbord that was commonplace in Marillac. Although slight changes have been made in the past few years, such as the addition of Quiznos, it has not been enough to save the sub par service provided by Aramark. Simply, this company change is a necessary one.
Under Aramark, the food served throughout the campus was dismal at best, with Montgoris truly being the worst of the worst. Despite the “all you can eat” option, it was rare to find food that was edible and even moderately enjoyable beyond the soft-serve ice cream. The pizza was cold, the deli meats slimy, and the grill often served up some odd-looking, gray slab of mystery meat that they tried to pass off as some sort of delicacy.
From the day that school cafeterias came into existence, the food served has been considered the lowest of the low. From the weirdly square pizza served in elementary school in celebration of Fridays, to the frighteningly over compressed chicken nuggets that are commonplace in high school, students have learned to not go to school expecting five-star meals. However, there is a difference between passable sustenance and rubbery substances that leave you in dire need of a Pepto-Bismol Cocktail chased by some Tums.
In actuality, the Sodexho Food Company is being offered an amazing opportunity that extends far beyond the 5-year, $11 million contract that they inked with the University. They are being offered the chance to pick up a University whose food reputation is in utter shambles and turn it around completely.
By the end of next semester, the incoming freshmen should be in awe of how good the cafeterias are, while returning students should be left saying, “Aramark who?”
