New Year’s Resolutions are hard to keep, but the Umphrey-Lee Cafeteria made some New Year changes that are here to stay. Most noticeable is the change to the hours of operation of Umphrey-Lee Cafeteria. However, $25,000 of new renovations accompany the new hours. New graphics spice up the room, while sterling silver service ware gives an updated, clean and trendy look to the cafeteria.
Umphrey-Lee Cafeteria will now be open continuously from 7 a.m. – 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. on Friday, 9:30 a.m.– 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, and 9:30 a.m. -11 p.m. on Sunday. The addition of operating hours for Umphrey-Lee cafeteria forced Food Services to restrict the hours. Mac’s Place will now only be open for lunch and dinner and will no longer open again after 7:30 p.m.
While some students say they are excited about the new extended hours of Umphrey-Lee, other students say they are disappointed that Mac’s Place will close earlier.
“It’s really frustrating, especially for athletes, because the majority of us live in the South quad,” said Morgan Field, a first-year engineering major and member of the women’s soccer team. “We often get out of practice late, and we like eating at Mac’s Place because it’s close to the stadium and our dorms.”
According to Ed Devoid, director of Dining Services, it is not cost efficient to open both cafeterias after dinner, but the actual cost of the renovations, however, is an investment that would have to be made anyway in replacing old and out of date equipment. Students will probably notice the visual changes most. Nine to 10 different graphics were added to the walls. These graphics range in colors and will be switched frequently to add variety to the cafeteria, he said.
“Wireless internet will be available by Friday in the Umphrey-Lee dining room,” said Devoid. “Expect more changes, such as booths, high-top tables, and even soft seating, to come in the fall.”
Sophomore engineering major Brooke Binion doesn’t think the decoration shouldn’t be the first priority.
“Can we get changes in the food instead of in the wall decoration?” she said. “All I’ve noticed is a new sign saying ‘munch, crunch, devour, authentic’-exactly what does that mean?”
Changes to Umphrey-Lee’s menu are also in the works. Associates cooking in specific food stations, such as the pasta station, will now have recipes to follow. Devoid hopes the recipes will help students feel like they are getting a wider variety of food. Students will still be able to alter the recipe to their taste, but there will be a different recipe nightly.
Umphrey-Lee now offers made-to-order smoothies and freshly cut bread. Another improvement is that all ingredients will be displayed so students can see exactly what goes in the food they are eating, Devoid said.
He wants students to be confident that their food is fresh and satisfied that their meal choice will be good.
“We want folks to be able to trust what’s there-that’s our ultimate goal,” Devoid said.
The dining services employees are excited for the change, too. It means not only more hours per week for employees, but in addition, a change in employee education is taking place. Employees are being encouraged to learn about the food they are preparing, through daily meetings and talking about food among themselves.
Devoid and SMU Dining Services are confident in their New Year changes and hope that students will also realize the benefits of the adjustments.
“We’re condensing what we do and doing it better,” Devoid said.
