“DEAR ERNIE”™

ADVICE COLUMN CONTEST REMINDER

Ideas, Hints and Insight from
America’s Smartest College & University Dining Services Professionals

With convenience and flexibility at the top of students’ lifestyle list, 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. may be the new
standard in dining hall service hours. Boston University Foodservice Director (Aramark) David
Seltzer says their dining hall’s extended hours are key to their success in a competitive
marketplace.

Dear Ernie,

“It’s all about availability to the students. We need to be open late in order to be competitive
with the local retail businesses. We’re in the service industry. By staying open late, we are adding
value to the services we offer to our students.

We want everyone to be happy. Our dining halls are a safe place and very social atmosphere
without the pressures of drinking or spending money. There are no breaks between breakfast,
lunch and dinner. But our campus also has a big retail business. We have about 12-15 retail
outlets, which is where a lot of students go between meals.

Our late night services have their own budget. We need it to stay competitive with the local businesses.
My advice to any dining facility considering extending hours is to think about the investment you’re
making in the future of your business. The nature of what we do is so competitive, you have to stay
ahead of the curve.”

David Seltzer
Foodservice Director, Aramark
Boston University

24/7 Meals on the Go
Here are some ideas from Kellogg’s® Food Away From Home that you can easily implement into your dining services offerings to meet the diverse needs of students throughout the day while ringing up extra sales with minimal labor:

• In the dorm lobby: Offer Kashi® cereal-in-a-cup, oatmeal or granola bars.
• In lecture halls: Sell pre-wrapped sandwiches, fruit and beverages.
• In the library: Add a self-serve coffee and snack stand featuring Nutri-Grain® cereal bars bundled with milk.
• In the student center: Create a fresh fruit, smoothie and parfait station featuring Crunchy Blends™ Low Fat Granola.
• In the dining hall: Offer a late-night made-to-order room service option.