Breakfast and the salad bar have returned to campus after their discontinuation last semester led to backlash from students.
Aladdin Dining, the company responsible for campus food services, removed it due to a lack of student participation. As a result, the café’s morning hours are now 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. to combat this issue.
By popular demand, the campus cafeteria is once again serving breakfast.
“We’re actually toying with the idea of opening at 8:45 a.m. to give students a 15-minute buffer because we’ve been finding that class starts at nine o’clock,” Food Services Director Chad Welborn said.
Aladdin Dining has been testing the earlier start time to gauge student interest. “We’ve been doing a soft opening to see how many students we’re getting before fully committing to the change,” Welborn said. “It’s hit or miss. Honestly, it depends on how many nursing students are on campus that day.”
Welborn credited the return of breakfast in part to the nursing students, who are now on campus full-time. “Last semester, nursing students were here part-time. Now, with 150 to 200 students, they represent a significant portion of the campus population,” he said.
Cartersville’s schedule remains the same. “Cartersville is still 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. for breakfast and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for lunch,” Welborn said.
Welborn also acknowledged students’ disappointment in the decision. “The salad bar was overwhelmingly the number one thing that we heard about, both through the survey and physical voice complaints,” Welborn said.
The salad bar is back up and running at the Floyd campus cafeteria.
While the breakfast menu remains the same, an ongoing egg shortage has led to occasional changes, such as the unavailability of fried eggs, Welborn said.
Students have expressed satisfaction with breakfast’s return.
“I was very irritated when they took breakfast off the menu and relieved when they brought it back,” student Trey Sargent said. “The anticipation of getting what you want for breakfast and seeing what the lunch specials would be was part of the fun.”
Jay Gordon, who eats two meals on campus nearly every day, shared Sargent’s feelings. “I was very disappointed when they took away breakfast, and I’m glad that it’s back,” Gordon said.
“I eat lunch in the cafeteria every time I’m on campus and appreciate the hard work the food service staff puts into making nutritious, flavorful meals,” student Spencer Cooper said. “When the lunch specials were removed, eating in the cafeteria felt more like a convenience. I’m grateful they’ve returned, and now I enjoy eating on campus again.”
Welborn explained the decision-making process behind the week-to-week menu that is based on monthly programs. “We have a ‘So Good’ program where we highlight different foods,” he said. “In March, we’ll highlight green beans.”
He also shared that the dining services frequently change the menu to reflect special events and educational themes. “This month, we’re focusing on how healthy foods can connect the world,” he said.
The school administers two surveys each year, allowing students and staff to voice opinions and suggest improvements.
To celebrate the return of breakfast and lunch specials, students showing this article during breakfast hours at both campuses or the Cartersville coffee shop will receive a 10% discount through April 17.
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For additional information, share comments or ask questions, contact Chad Welborn at chad.welborn@aladdindining.com.
