University of Nevada- Reno Week 2!

Hello again!

Week 2 was spent in the Downunder Cafe again, learning about running a residential dining unit.

Monday I assisted Barbara with office work, and we worked on final billing for groups. I also attended a summer meeting with dining services and residence life staff, to confirm groups that will be staying at the University sometime over the summer. It is very important to have a precise count of attendees so that you can bill the group for the correct number of meals. Also, then the kitchen staff is prepared to make enough food for that number. The departments have to work closely together to make sure everything will be prepared for when the group arrives.

Tuesday I met with chef Xavier and learned what a typical day is like in the kitchen. The kitchen uses a program called Trim Trax, to help minimize the waste lost during the production of food. The staff places all food trimmings into marked containers, and the amounts collected are recorded on a waste input sheet. Management looks at the numbers weekly to determine how much edible food is being wasted, and to encourage staff to minimize waste when they can.

Kitchen staff also keeps a record of food production. The amount of food made is written down, as well as how much is used. Next time the item is on the menu, management can refer to these records to estimate how much should be made this time.

The Downunder Cafe kitchen prepares lunches for the Headstart program. The government regulates how much food should be served to these children, to ensure they are getting proper nutrition. The kitchen is given recipes and must be sure that pieces are very small, so no children can choke on the food. Because of this, it can sometimes be more labor intensive work than preparing food for the University cafeteria.

 

Wednesday was spent collecting an accurate list of inventory. The inventory is given to the production manager, who then knows what food and/or supplies need to be purchased for the upcoming menu items. It is a tedious process, but very important. I also sat in on a managers meeting where upcoming events and scheduling were discussed.

Thursday I worked with the Silver and Blue catering department. Kyle, the catering manager, allowed me to shadow her as we went back and forth between three different events. The first event was for the Foundation Board, and they catered lunch, as well as a meeting in the afternoon. Outside, they catered “Nevada’s Finest, Honor Court Event.” The University has a beautiful campus, and for this event they had tables set up with flower centerpieces. The last event of the day was “Nevada School of Medicine Clinician’s Ceremony.” Medical students were gathered to celebrate the transition from textbook studies, to clinical rotations. It was great to observe how the catering department works together to make each event a success, even when there is so much going on in one day. The kitchen staff works very hard to prepare delicious food, that is extremely visually appealing!

On Friday, Barbara and I went through some office work. Then, there was a large group coming in for lunch. We collected their lunch tickets, and used this number for final billing. I began doing some online training classes for my project, which I will share more details about in the next two weeks! Next week I will begin working with the retail department.

Weekend hike at the Cross Peak trail loop!