University of Nevada-Reno Week 3!

Week 3 was spent learning about the retail operations here at the University! The retail units are where students pay for the amount of food they eat, as opposed to the Downunder Cafe, where students pay with meal swipes and enjoy all they can eat. Chuck, the director of retail operations, gave me a tour of all of the locations, and I even got to spend some time working at the units that remain open during the summer. We talked about the marketing during the school year that encourages students to eat there, and went over the financials and how to keep the budget in line. Some of the retail locations are not open during the summer because there is not enough students on campus to generate enough business.

One that does remain open, is the Overlook. The Overlook, located in the Jot Travis Building, has a variety of food options available. There is a Mandalay Express, Well Bread, Greenz Salads, Grill Nation, Second City Pizza, and Starbucks/Freshens smoothies. On Tuesday, I became familiar with the menus, and learned how to run the register. The next morning I helped with prep in the kitchen. They prepare Outtakes grab-and-go sandwiches, fruit and vegetable cups, and other items that are then distributed to other units on campus. The overlook sits right next to Manzanita Lake, which makes it’s a beautiful location to enjoy a meal.

I also got the chance to work at the Deli NV. This is located in the Student Achievement Center, and serves coffee, deli sandwiches, soups, and salads. Thursday and Friday were spent working at Bytes, located in the Knowledge Center. Bytes is a coffee shop that offers espresso beverages, salads, wraps, and more. I learned some barista training, as well as inventory and restocking. At the end of the day, we went through closing procedures and counting the register.

I had the chance to go the Reno Rodeo this week, and got to experience my first ever rodeo! The Reno Rodeo is the second largest in the country, and I really enjoyed watching all of the events they had.

Over the weekend, I visited Lake Tahoe for the first time! I took a yoga class on paddle boards, which was one of the coolest experiences I have ever had. Lake Tahoe has such clear water, and is surrounded by beautiful mountains that are still snow covered. The water was colder than I have ever felt before, but luckily I did not fall in! It is also the second deepest lake in the country.

With everything going on in this area, there is not a moment to be bored. I am so grateful for the opportunity to spend my summer here, and looking forward to all my future adventures!