Your Comments:

Dave, Thank you to responding to my question about energy drinks at Crossroads. Unfortunately, I never saw the response because it was cutoff from the newsletter I picked up at Block & Barrel. I checked the website, but the current issue is not up yet. Is there anyway you could reprint it or email me the answer? Thanks Dave! Adam

Hi Adam.  I’m not sure what happened to my editing on this last issue.  I think I moved around a few comments and didn’t reprint all the pages.  When I looked at the file it was fine.  It seems I had cut your comment and held it over for this issue but had printed a proof which I mixed up with the final draft ….  Well I screwed it up.  Here is your comment in its entirety:

Dave, Thank you sooooo much for the Vault fountain station at the Taco Mayo in Cate. GREAT idea!! Energy drinks and sodas become hard to find come Finals week, so its great to see it as a fountain. Is there any way you could put some of the Full Throttle in Xcetera at Crossroads so its available 24/7? Thanks Dave!!!

We continue to get requests for different drinks in different areas.  When a product becomes available and we have room for it we will do our best to “move it out” to other operations.  I don’t see where the Full Throttle at Crossroads would be a major problem as long as we have the refrigeration and storage.

Ahoy, Dave. I enjoyed the Grouper with Sundried Tomatoes  today (3/7/07) at lunch. However, up North in the Land of 10,000 Lakes we call it Fish Jerky or thrice-baked. Sorry for the joke, but it was REALLY dry! It almost had the texture of overcooked turkey! On the plus side, the cake that was hidden behind the Greek area was amazing. But could we find a better display area for the Baklava and other treats!? I never think to walk around the bend to find it.

Lost amongst the wind whipped dunes of the south Sahara desert the small band of chefs now regretted they had left the shelter of their crashed airplane behind.  With no provisions other than a few truffles, a tin of caviar, and a bottle of Don Perrione 2003 the chefs had been wandering aimlessly for two days.  Suddenly Pierre’ points, yells something unintelligible and starts running down the sand dune.   He falls to his knees in a giddy stupor and begins to shovel large quantities of sand into his mouth screaming and yelling about the “Grouper with Sun Dried Tomatoes and green basil garnish.  The others ran after him but it was too late.  By the time they reached poor Pierre he was dead ……..

We call that our “mirage special.”  Just like a desert mirage it looks good from afar but up close it’s dry and tasteless.  I will give our crew props for trying something that actually sounds very good.  “Grouper with Sun Dried Tomatoes” sounds like a restaurant quality entrée, I’m sorry we didn’t pull it off.  Maybe if we had some Don Perrione 2003 ……

Hey can we get those catbury carmel eggs this year again in xcetra?  those things are amazing. also in hot bar in cate, can we get some diffrent style of chicken strips, they are always soft and bendy, can we get some that are breaded crunchy etc like at raising cains?

One of the concepts we are thinking about for Cate next year is to take a little more of the hot bar space and having an expanded chicken menu.  We would be looking at different tenders, nuggets, and even a good whole piece fried chicken.  I will bet that we will do a lot of experimenting with that these last few weeks of the semester.

Dear Dave,  As per OUr Earth's suggestion, I'm writing you about the cage free egg issues that's making the rounds.  It isn't surprising that most OUr Earth'ers will support this, considering nobody in power is a vegetarian (and as far as I'm concerned, not a very educated environmentalist), but I think you shouldn't waste your breath.  You hit the nail on the head last semester regarding the beef problem, and so you also probably know that cage free eggs are not a regulated industry and thus does not mean a hell of a lot.  Unfortunately most OUr Earth'ers writing you will probably not know that being cage free usually means a little dirt scratch pad and not some utopian environmentalist crap collective organizations are perpetually unable to shake out of their heads. The cost for doing an across-the-board change is going to be large and I doubt most of the population would care except for a feel-good little buzzword.  I'm not saying you shouldn't do it, but if you do, you should really try to find a company that puts their eggs where their mouth is and not some pandering-to-the-gruppies (which I made up and means green yuppies).  If it isn't *truly* cage free, don't do it.  If it is actually cage free, the school probably can't afford it. I'm sorry to always sound like the absolutist vegan, because I'm really not militant or aggressive at all, it's just forever frustrating to see these bulletins shooting around OUr Earth's mailing list - it's like some kind of stupid PETA commercial to make everybody feel TOTALLY AWESOME about themselves.  But I'm sure you'll make the right decision. PS:  Thanks for not buying TV menus for Crossroads!  Those little displays look splendid! :-p Joe

I'm glad you wrote, you always provide interesting and thought provoking comments.  We will be looking into a cage free egg program but we are actually looking to do it locally.  We have found a source in Shawnee.  We are working with them to provide cage free eggs for Crossroads this fall.  In this way we will actually have some say in how the chickens are raised and treated.  I don't think we will expand the program beyond Crossroads unless there is a big demand for it.  Having the eggs produced locally only makes sense and if we are going to do something like this then we should treat the concept with respect and do our best to make sure we are giving our customers what they think they are getting.

After we come back from Spring Break (April 2, 2007 to be exact) we will begin selling a "cage free" egg at Crossroads.  They are coming from Sysco so I really don't know all the particulars of production.  I am assured that it is truly a “cage-free” egg.   We wanted to start the program this spring and our Shawnee source will not be ready to go until August.

And Joe, I always tell people that I have a lot of respect for people who choose to be vegan.  I think it is impressive that you live your beliefs.  That takes character and commitment.

Dearest Dave, I have been meaning to write this for sometime as an all-encompassing comment. Where to begin? I am an avid reader of the kitchen comments and especially so because I work for Food Services (at Cate) but I'd like to inform some of the students who write in that food establishments are not always the problem. Day in & day out I hear the complaints & yes, I know we are at fault sometimes, but at other times I would look to your fellow students, especially when it comes to cleanliness. Dave.. I thought when I came to the University of Oklahoma I would be at school with the best & the brightest but some of the people lack such common sense. If one trash can is full & the one RIGHT NEXT to it is only half-way full, why are you going to try to stuff your trash in the already full one???? This makes absolutely no sense. It's not like you have to walk a mile to get to an empty one, is it so hard to adjust your arm over a couple of inches and throw it

away in the second trash can? Furthermore, it is completely & utterly rude to leave your trash at the tables. Some people try to be so discreet as to hide it under the booths, honestly, I mean, c'mon. This is uncalled for. I see this from both sides as well because I try to go out of my way as a customer because it's not only about helping the employees out a little but I also care about my fellow students. WITH THAT SAID, I'd like to address something else on my mind. I may seem like I am just ranting, but I want to take the time to thank all the students who come into Cate with a wonderful attitude, because you truly make my day. Sometimes when classes let out & the students come in droves it is easy to be overwhelmed, but I find it easy to be in a good mood as long as the customers are cheerful, & these kind of customers do exist!! As a worker, to all of you students who are very kind in circumstances where we may be out of your favorite wrap or are taking a little while because we have to go back & get fruit, I truly appreciate your patience. Your kind faces & jovial spirits always make my day easier & worthwhile. I just can't say enough to those students who are considerate. You are amazing! The person who wrote in & asked about the grilled chicken situation, I have my advice: just ask for extra meat. It really depends on what you get on your sandwich, I know the standard is at 3 ounces, but if you only get lettuce on your wrap, I can see how that quickly turns into a baby of a sandwich &you are still very hungry. I know this because I only get cheese & grilled chicken on mine so I just always ask for extra meat. &I think this is the end of my entirely too long comment, but I think a Crossroads 2 would be absolutely superb where Burger King is. While I admit that I actually like BK, I think Crossroads would please more people & I find it far far far far more pleasing than a Panda Express. Thanks Dave for all the things that you do!

Thanks for the view from the “other side” of the fence.  I too am always amazed at what people will do.  I think most of our customers appreciate what we do and just want to be treated in a friendly and engaging manner.  We need to be concerned about how long they stand in line and getting their order correct the first time because their time is valuable to them just as ours is to us.  I don’t mind waiting for a sandwich or food that is being made as long as it is fresh and meets my expectations, when it doesn’t it is just a frustration and a waste of my time. 

I mentioned last week that our Legal folks and the Panda folks COULD NOT come to terms on an agreement to put in a Panda Express so we will be staying with Burger King for the immediate future providing of course that we can work out a new contract with them. 

I would just like to point out a very friendly and helpful employee that works at Cinnebon. His name is Jason Chance and a number of times he has gone out of his way to help me. Once when I inquired about Roscoe's being closed early he asked me what I wanted and jumped on over there and made it for me because he has worked there before. I couldn't believe he did that for me! It really just made my day and I know it sounds silly, but I will never forget it. I just thought I would give him the pat on the back he most definitely deserves!

I love little stories like this.  Taking care of the customer.  Of course I hope he didn’t leave 5 customers waiting at Cinnabon while he was helping you …..  I’m sure not. 

so here is a question Dave... I have class during the time the caf is open for lunch, and work when it is open for dinner, so i use most of my exchanges on bk, or cate.  friday is the only day i have off, and the caf is only open for lunch.  sometimes i get grill to order, my question is, is it possible to get say 4 things of salmon, and pay for them all with exchanges, and then take those out of the caf with me?  that way later in the week i can reheat them in my room and eat them?  it would make me really happy because i love salmon, and i could use my exchanges at the caf and on something other than bk and cate which i have been eating way to much

While we do not allow food to be taken out of the cafeteria we do have a number of students on a “customized” meal plan due to work or class conflicts.  I think there is room to explore this.  Call me at 325-6185 and we can talk.

Hey man, just wanted to drop a few words in regards to the Burger King situation. I rarely eat there, but did so tonight out of convenience (I live in Adams) and I was absolutely appalled at the behavior of the majority of the employees. Chris, one of the managers, was doing a great job as always, especially seeing as how there was such a long line. I believe he was also training someone to do the register. During all of this, there were about 5 or 6 people in the back goofing off as everyone waited around for their food. Chris kept asking them to prepare the food and pipe down and they would disrespectfully talk back to him. Furthermore, they still don't wear gloves. That is completely unsanitary seeing as how the employees were throwing things and putting their hands all over the counters, etc. Please give us a better option in Adams, Burger King is horrible.

I have elevated the response structure for Burger King to the owners of the operation.  Whenever there is a problem or issue I am forwarding the e-mail to them.  As long as you give some type of contact information they will get back with you.  Just this last week I saw a very detailed response to a student problem.

We have been partners with Burger King for 10 years.  I know the caliber of the owners, their management team and their training.  90% of the time they are giving good service, I am confident we will resolve all of our current issues.

Hi Dave!  Whoever decided to put Rhonda over in the Bookmark is a genius. I used to go the Union for my morning joe, just because of how well she does her job. She has an enthusiastic following and runs that little cafe like clockwork. She treats her customers like guests in her own home. Increase her pay at once. Or at least give her some sort of royal title, like Empress of Espresso or Countess of Caffeine....   People write in and grtich all the time: just thought you needed to know that some of your folks are going above and beyond.  Speaking of gritching: What's up with the tea machine at Crossroads? I miss my iced green tea. You know, Dave, that green tea is rich in catechin polyphenols, particularly epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). EGCG is a powerful anti-oxidant: besides inhibiting the growth of cancer cells, it kills cancer cells without harming healthy tissue. It has also been effective in lowering LDL cholesterol levels, and inhibiting the abnormal formation of blood clots.  The latter takes on added importance when you consider that thrombosis (the formation of abnormal blood clots) is the leading cause of heart attacks and stroke. With all that going for it, we should have it. Do you want those kinds of serious health problems on your head?  Besides, it's so delicious! Thanks Dave!

You make me think I should be drinking green tea …..  Rhonda is doing a fantastic job for us at Bookmark.  I really appreciate you taking the time to confirm what we have felt.  Since she took over the Bookmark there seems to be a renewed emphasis on customer service and that extends to our employees as well as the people “out front.”

I apologize that we continue to have problems with the tea machine at Crossroads.  We love the machines, we think they make a great cup of tea but they have not been as “robust” as we would like.  There are a number of maintenance issues we keep coming up against.  We just took two of these machines out of service at Couch because they could not keep up with the heavy demand.  We now have these machines to use as “hot swaps” for the Crossroads machine.  I hope this means that when the machine does break down we can have repair parts available right away.

 If Quiznos is going to be closed at 7:00 pm, the website REALLY needs to be changed to reflect that.  I got a craving for a Cabo Chicken sub last night, and set out on a half-hour walk to get my sandwich!  Imagine my horror when I arrived and was curtly informed that the restaurant was closed for the evening!  Dave, had the website not clearly stated that Quiznos would be open until 10:00, I would never have left my apartment.  Now I have blisters on my feet, and no sandwich!

You point out a big oversight on our web site.  Quiznos was open its first year to 10 pm but we scaled that back to 7 pm this year.  I’m sorry for any inconvenience that has caused you.

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