University of Nevada-Reno Week 8!

The last week!

What a bittersweet feeling it is to be traveling home already! I feel like it was just yesterday that I was arriving in Reno.

This week, I spent some time with Russ, who is the director of housing operations and dining services. I learned how the housing department works with a contract foodservice to meet the needs of the University. It also happened to be an orientation day for incoming students. I sat in on the housing department’s presentation to their parents about living on campus. They sure did ask some interesting questions, which made me think back to my freshman year of college!

I also worked with Chris, and learned how he manages the account as the resident district manager. I got a good overview of the financials and we looked through the P&L statement, and he explained each part of the budget. Corporate then looks at their numbers not for each unit individually, but for them combined. They can get an idea of how the business is doing just by seeing this spreadsheet. We also went over contracts, and just how important it is to have a contract laid out in business. It has been really interesting to learn about Chartwells and Compass Group, because I was previously unfamiliar with how a contract foodservice works.

The rest of the week was spent working at Bytes, Deli NV, and continuing the file audit for the Downunder employees. As I had my final wrap ups with the directors, I have realized just how much I have learned in my time here! I have seen every side of this operation, and learned just what needs to be done for everything to run successfully.

I am so grateful to have had this experience! I have met some amazing people in these 8 weeks, and had so many adventures in “The Biggest Little City in the World.” Thank you so much to everyone who made this internship possible, and allowed me to learn so much about foodservice management. My summer as a NACUFS intern has been one of the most memorable so far!

University of Nevada- Reno Week 7!

This week I got to spend some time with Dennis, the marketing director. We went through some of the projects that he works on throughout the year, and he showed me all the menu boards and signs he creates. The menu boards at the retail units are shown from a USB drive that holds many slides, and rotates between the menu items and advertisements for other units. I learned to walk in and view the place through the eyes of the customer. That way, you can understand what draws your attention, good or bad. There really is a science behind marketing. Each sign is put in a certain location for a reason, and even the menu board colors are what is proven to attract your eye.

The theory of menu engineering is used to place each grab-and-go snack item or drink on a certain shelf. It was so interesting to learn how much thought is behind everything, just to attract the attention of the consumer, and increase sales. Throughout the year, Dennis also has focus group sessions and student surveys to found out what students like and dislike with the units on campus. He hands out coupons as an incentive, and a way to get students into the unit.

At Elements, located in the Math & Science building, they have an additional screen besides the menu boards that shows short, entertaining videos. Since the students in this building are most likely math or science majors, the videos are all related to that. For an entire day, I got to spend time searching for funny science experiments, optical illusions, and other jokes that I thought students would enjoy watching. It is a way not only to entertain them while they are at Elements, but can also encourage them to stay a little longer.

On Friday, I worked in the Downunder Cafe again, and began the file audit for Barbara’s employees. This is the project that I learned with Nailah when working with HR. The Downunder has the most employees of any of the units, and also hires a large number of student workers.

This week we also went to the Reno Aces game! Chartwells got us a skybox where we had a buffet of food, drinks, and got to watch a great game that the Aces ended up winning. It was such a fun night hanging out with some awesome coworkers!

It’s hard to believe this was my last weekend in Reno! I am definitely going to miss being here, although I am excited to be back in Wisconsin. I enjoyed a comedy show, some live music at the Peppermill, great food, and beautiful hike over the weekend!

Only one more week left in this NACUFS adventure!

University of Nevada- Reno Week 6!

Another week, here and gone!

During week 6, I continued work on my project. This included going through the menu cycles of the Downunder Cafe, and making sure they matched up with the nutrition kiosks. Some menus had to be added into webtrition as well. They may decide to make binders that include all of the nutritional information as well, because at some times that may be more convenient than the kiosks. Once the menus are all loaded into webtrition, it will be easy to go through and print the nutritionals for each station.

On Wednesday, I worked with the catering department to help with lunch for the National Judicial College. This is an event that they cater many times throughout the year, so the catering attendants are very familiar with what needs to get done. Judges from across the country will come to the National Judicial College to take required classes and continue their education. They even have a real courthouse within the building! Rod and Michael were more than willing to show me how everything works, and the event turned out really well.

I also got to spend time working in the catering office with Lori, the Catering manager. We went over how the catering process works from start to finish. This includes choosing a menu, having the client sign a contract, determining the necessary staff needed, ordering the food and supplies for the kitchen, catering the actual event, and then the billing process.

Later in the week, I worked at the Starbucks/Freshens unit in the Overlook, Bytes, and Deli NV to continue learning the roles of the food service workers.

Every year in July, Reno has an Artown festival. This includes over 500 events throughout the month. There is live music, dance, theater performances, and more to enjoy! Over the weekend, I did the Vine Gogh Wine Walk. After purchasing a wine glass, you travel to local restaurants, boutiques, and art galleries to sample wine, and explore downtown Reno!

I also continued to explore the many hiking trails around Lake Tahoe, which is one of the most beautiful sights you will ever see! 8 weeks is not enough time to explore everything that this area has to offer!

University of Nevada-Reno Weeks 4 & 5!

It is hard to believe I am already halfway through my time here in Reno! It sure has been going fast, and I am so grateful for how much I am learning. I am combining weeks 4 and 5 because they were both spent in the office working on accounting and HR/payroll, and this past week was a short 3 days.

During week 4, I worked with Jacob, the assistant director of operations. Each morning, we did a walk through of the units open during the summer, and made sure they were prepared for that day. This meant making sure that their grab-and-go food was prepared, all safety and sanitation measures were being followed, and that each worker was on task. When an employee calls in sick, they are able to move individuals around between units to ensure that they have enough staff where they need it. I helped with the lunch rush at Deli NV when we were short staffed one day.

We went through MyOpportunity, which includes the applications from individuals interested in a food service job on campus. I even sat in on an interview with an applicant, and learned interviewing questions, and how they are scored after the interview. If the interview goes well, the directors may decide to hire them. Depending on their schedule of availability, they may be assigned to work at any one of the retail units on campus.

My project for the internship revolves around the FDA regulation to have nutrition information available to consumers. Calories must be posted at the point where customers make their purchase decisions. This way, they are able to make informed choices about which food they will select. Any menu item that is eaten on the premises, while walking away, or soon after arriving at another location, is included. It also includes standard menu items that are included on a menu board on display sixty or more days a year. Calories must be posted using the same size, color, font, and contrast as menu items. Additional nutrition information must also be available to customers upon their request. This includes total calories, calories from fat, total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium, total carbohydrate, dietary fiber, sugars, and protein. The Downunder Cafe has nutrition kiosks, where students are able to look up any menu item served on a particular day, and view this additional nutrition information. The retail units will have binders available for customers to view the nutrition information of their menu items.

I am helping to enter the menu items from the Downunder Cafe into Webtrition, so that nutrition information for each item is included on the kiosks. This includes determining the universal portion size of that item, and knowing which days of the week it will served. The Downunder uses a four week menu cycle.

For the 4th of July weekend, I was lucky enough to have my whole family and boyfriend visit! We enjoyed Wing Fest in downtown Reno, hiked Mt. Rose, visited Virginia City, and went rafting down the Truckee River. It was great to be able to show them how amazing this area really is, and how much there is to do!

Week 5 was spent working with Nailah, who is in charge of HR and payroll. She has to go through each department’s employee files, and make sure that all required paperwork has been filled out. We spent a lot of the time auditing files, and printing paperwork to be signed. You sure have to be organized in a position like this! A lot of the departments are in the process of opening job postings to hire more workers for the busy school year. I learned how to post a job online, including what details need to be listed.

On Friday, we went over the weekly close procedures. This includes running a lot of reports and sending some to corporate. It was also payday, so we went over payroll, and printed employee’s pay stubs. I was not very familiar with accounting or HR before these two weeks, but I think I have the basics down!

This weekend I visited San Francisco for the first time! Nailah and I took a boat tour around Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge, walked along Fisherman’s Wharf, sampled lots of chocolate at Ghiradelli, explored Land’s End, and enjoyed dinner in Sausalito.

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!

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!

University of Nevada Week 1

Greetings from the “Biggest Little City in the World!”

Introduction:

My name is Heidi Flanders, and I am excited to share my summer experience as a NACUFS intern with you. I just completed my junior year at Viterbo University (La Crosse, WI), where I am majoring in nutrition and dietetics.

1 week ago today, I arrived in Reno via the train. The 2,000+ mile trip took around 44 hours, but did allow for some very scenic pictures along the way! I will be in Reno for a total of 8 weeks. When I arrived at the University, I got all settled into my dorm room in the Argenta Hall. There was a fridge full of drinks, snacks, and Nevada wolf pack items waiting for me! It was very welcoming.

Week 1:

My first day included meeting Chris and Russ, who again, were extremely welcoming! I got a tour of the campus, which is much larger than the small University I attend. I met a lot of the individuals in the foodservice department who I will be working with during these 8 weeks. The University runs its food service department through a contracted company called Compass Group. A division of Compass Group, called Chartwells, runs the food service department.

This week focused on allowing me to become familiar with how the foodservice operation works. I worked with Barbara, who is the director of residential dining at the University. The largest cafeteria on campus is the Downunder Cafe, which also has the DC Store next to it, where students can purchase convenience items. The summer months are less busy because there are much less students to feed, however there are still summer school students, camps, and special events that will be at the University over the summer. Barbara and I went through the budgeting procedure, staffing, and writing invoices for these events. I sat in on a billing meeting with the director of housing operations and dining services. The importance of organization became clear as we went through endless amounts of numbers and excel files. We were able to go through a P&L statement for the cafeteria, to see the revenues, costs, and expenses for the month.

I also met with the production manager, Richard, and learned about the ordering procedures for the cafeteria’s vendors. A record of current inventory is very important for ordering, and next week I will be helping with collecting inventory records. We went through Webtrition, which is used to organize the cycle menu that the cafeteria uses. This site can be used to know what food needs to be ordered for the upcoming week’s menu.

I observed Richard in the kitchen, and learned how important using standardized recipes is for industrial cooking. They keep recipes on hand, so that if any student has a question about an allergy, they are able to look up all of the ingredients. All of the chefs seem very passionate about their jobs at the cafeteria and were eager to answer any questions I had!

Barbara also taught me about the program Blackboard, which is used for the registers in the Downunder Cafe, as well as the DC store. By logging into the program from a computer, prices of items can be easily adjusted. It is a convenient way to manage the products sold, and also see what their contributing food cost percentage is.

Over the weekend, I had the chance to do some touristy things and explore Reno a little more! Being that I love to run, I was glad to find the Rancho San Rafael Park. Filled with trails, it makes a great place for running or hiking! One of the trails leads to a giant N spray painted on the mountainside. The students at the University repaint the N each year to show their wolf pack pride!

I also attended food truck friday at Idlewild Park. The park was filled with food truck vendors, live music, and lots of people there to enjoy it all! Of course a girl from a small town in Wisconsin couldn’t move to Reno without giving gambling a try! I went to my first casino, but am disappointed to say I did not win big (this time).

It has definitely been a busy week, but it was filled with so much information. I look forward to what the next 7 weeks bring in this city!