For all of the upperclassmen at Lasell who have been complaining about our new food service, Chartwells, since day one, it’s time to give it a rest. We have no reason to be so harsh on Chartwells (as if we had the best food situation before). Here are six reasons why it’s time to give them a break.
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They respond to our napkin notes.
We all know the infamous napkin note wall where people go to leave anonymous- and sometimes pretty aggressive- notes for the staff. This has always been an issue, but the difference now is that the Chartwells employees actually read them, and do something about it. So next time they happen to not have guacamole on Taco Tuesday, just nicely point it out to the staff instead of leaving a nasty note. I guarantee it will be there next time.
2. They don’t know our traditions.
Remember, they’re new. They didn’t know coming in that we have “Nugget Night” every Thursday, that we kept napkins on every table, that we used to have chicken tender wraps at Boomers, or brunch on weekends. It’s the weird little things that we all felt so passionately about and were outraged to come back and see that they were gone. It only took them a short amount of time to figure all of this out and implement changes right away. And by the way, their nuggets are bomb, so I’m not mad it took them a couple days to figure it out.
3. They check up on us.
They usually have a manager walking around who stops at tables to ask if we’re satisfied. What more can you ask for? If you bring up a problem to them, they are very sincere in their answers. They admit when they’ve made a mistake, and they are usually in the process of correcting it. A manager may even personally bring out something if you request it, so it doesn’t hurt to ask.
4. They give more options for those with special dietary needs.
All vegetarians, vegans, and those with a gluten intolerance have always had very few options in the dining hall. Chartwells has a whole section for those avoiding gluten, and they actually give what they promise. There are different options for vegetarians and vegans as well, so everyone can always find something to eat. I have heard good reviews from those with dietary restrictions who appreciate the effort, so obviously they’re doing something right.
5. Management is very involved.
Besides the managers walking around sometimes doing check ups, a manager is never far away in case you need anything. You can even find men walking around sometimes checking on food displays and tasting the food. They take their job very seriously. The staff is also very friendly and helpful. They even have a button you can press as you walk out of the dining hall where you can put in your input on how satisfied you were with your dining experience.
6. They’re trying.
This is the bottom line. They may not be perfect, but be honest with yourself. Are we actually worse off than we were before? As long as they continue to put in this effort and improve every day, we all need to calm down.
GIFs from giphy.com