Many new changes have been made by dining services, including the newest, and most popular feature, a sauté station. Sodexo’s general manager, John Lukeivic, and his team wanted something new and inviting for students when they came back from break. Lukeivic said, “We felt that letting students, faculty, and staff sauté their own vegetables is a unique idea that most colleges aren’t doing.”
The station has many varieties of seasonings and sauces as well as several different ingredients. Sodexo started with four burners, but quickly went to six due to a high volume of students interested in the process. The hours for the station are currently from 5-7:30 p.m.
There has also been, and will be, a staff member or Lukeivic himself, near the station to help anyone who may need it.In addition, Lukeivic is also working with chefs to prepare menus for food preparation. He said that he is most interested in gaining feedback to help this new station become even better. He added that he likes to get input from students, to know what he can do better there.
Stevenson student Morgan Mahoney said, “It’s easy to use and I loved how the chef helped me cook my first meal.”
Lukeivic hopes to make the station more efficient and to add more options for vegetarians and vegans, but those students have seemed to enjoy it so far.
Another student said, “I love that there is so much variety, especially as a vegetarian. I feel like I can make any combination and I’m always excited to use the stir fry station! I also feel more adult-like making my own food. It’s really cool to make your personalized dinner.”
Some other new additions to Rockland include a new ice cream machine, new food nights, and the possibility of other new and exciting options for food.
Sodexo will still continue with some of their traditions. “We usually have two premium nights a month and an elite dinner,” said Lukeivic, who explained that the elite dinner is a three-course meal set up in a sectioned-off part of the dining hall. It includes an appetizer/salad, a main course and a dessert. Students must sign up for the dinner, which is served between the hours of 5-7 p.m.
Students can visit Dining Services’ Facebook page for new updates on additions to meals.