The Sodexo management confirmed that A&W in the Trojan Center will be replaced by Steak ’n Shake, at The Food Advisory Council of Troy (FACT) meeting on Tuesday, April 4.
They also said that Marketplace will be removed. A Marble Slab outlet is anticipated to take the place of the old game room and current temporary Admissions office.
The meeting had been rescheduled from Tuesday, March 21, to Tuesday, April 4, due to scheduling conflicts, according to Ibrahim Yildrim, Troy’s Sodexo general manager.
The FACT is composed of Troy students and Student Government Association members who partner with Sodexo to share their thoughts, ideas and concerns about Sodexo and Troy’s dining options on campus.
Alongside Yildrim, the other Sodexo managers present were Michael Wonderly, the director of operations; Jamelia Williams, the retail director; Fontella Miller and Tiffany Williams, the retail managers; Colby Bilbo, the executive chef for Trojan Dining; Jackie Harris, the operations manager; and Elizabeth Eaise, the marketing manager.
Topics of discussion included options for commuter meal plans, the updates to the Trojan Center and changes to the Bite app.
Students talked about an additional commuter meal plan which would cost between $600 and $700. This new plan would include Trojan Dining swipes along with flex points. Sodexo is still working on the details of how and when a new commuter plan will be implemented. Currently, the commuter meal plan is equipped with 250 flex points.
Elizabeth Rodgers, a freshman math education major from Helena, said adding more options for commuters would be helpful.
“It gives me more choices when it comes to food, and I don’t have to only go to Moe’s or Chick-fil-A,” Rogers said. “Also, if I run out of flex points, I could still go to Saga.”
Yildrim also presented his ideas regarding increasing healthier and more organic options at Trojan Deli, located in the Trojan Center.
“Basically, for the new retail, the Trojan Deli is going to have better quality and with healthier options, including salads and other healthy stuff,” Yildrim said.
The remaining outlets will all be expanded to include cash registers at each station. The number of cash registers will also be increased from a total of seven to 16.
“The main purpose is the extending of seating (at the Trojan Center food court) and adding more point-of-sales systems so we can serve more customers in time,” Yildrim said.
These updates and expansions in the Trojan Center will be implemented beginning next fall.
“I am very excited about the changes to our dining options,” said Sierra Clark, a junior exercise major from Birmingham and campus life chair for SGA. “I feel that these changes are a result of our (student) input.
“What stood out the most to me is the willingness of the faculty to hear our suggestions and concerns, and how transparent they were about whether things were possible or not.”
Yildrim also provided insight in regards to the coffee machine in the Trojan Dining Hall (located between the Flying Star and Basic Kneads station) that has been out of order since the beginning of the semester.
“Those coffee machines are provided by vendors, and only they can touch those machines,” Yildrim said. “When we call them (the vendors), Troy being a rural area, sometimes it takes time to come back.
“Currently I have the other two machines providing service. However, we realize we have to make sure all the machines are running, and I believe they are now all fixed.”
Yildrim said that he would follow up to make sure they continue to do so, and Wonderly confirmed that the machines were now all fixed and working.
Students were also informed on the improvements to the Bite app that included a more organized listing of food options.
Students recommended including personalized alerts based on pre-selected food choices through the app.
At a previous FACT meeting, students suggesting adding a third fried chicken line for lunch on Wednesdays and increasing pasta bar options, which the management implemented.
“I am thrilled for the wider variety of vegetables and sauces at the pasta bar, and I am also very happy that they opened a third fried chicken line for Wednesday,” Clark said.
The FACT meetings are held twice every semester where students can share ideas, concerns and suggestions with the dining management and provide feedback.
The next FACT meeting will be held in the fall.
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