With more than 20 daily vegetarian food choices and a Vegetarian Options Board at the Pioneer Student Center café, Dining Services responds to customer’s suggestions and serves vegetarian needs.

Once a year, Dining Services sends out an online survey to the campus in which students and other customers can comment and make suggestions. Over the summer, Doug Stockli, food service administrator, and Mike Ernst, food services manager, analyze their sales and the survey.

The need for more vegetarian options was a prominent request, Ernst said.

The Vegetarian Options Board was created to outline extra vegetarian food options at the Motherboard, Signature Cuisine and Calientes. Dining Services made it easier for students to know which vegetarian options they have.

“It’s a good way to look at your options, and then you can decide if you want to eat there or not,” Luke Wallace, junior mechanical engineering major, said.

Ernst also said that all meals at Calientes can be made completely vegetarian.

To exert influence on the offered menu at the PSC, students can submit ideas to the suggestion box near the register at the PSC café or contact their hall residence assistants who can forward ideas to the
regularly scheduled Dining Services advisory meetings.

“People with allergies can also contact us and we make sure we have things specifically for them,” Ernst said.

During past catering events, Dining Services has accommodated groups with special cultural and moral preferences, including a Muslim and a Chinese group. With the establishment of the vegetarian options
board and the ability to accommodate special food needs, Dining Services demonstrates flexibility.

“We do listen to the survey and try to diversify as much as we can, and try to keep up with popular trends,” Stockli said.