Students question dining service efficiency

Long lines at Pavilion Dining break records

ABIGAIL CAVIZO / NEWS EDITOR / THE USD VISTA

USD is known for having some of the best on-campus meal options for university dining. According to Niche, USD is ranked ninth in the country for food in America. However, for the food this year, USD students are unsure if it’s worth the wait. This year’s class of 2026 is the largest first-year class in USD history, with approximately 100 more students than the university usually expects. Because first-year students living on campus are required to have meal plans, some students are wondering if USD’s dining services accounted for the increase in students visiting dining locations.

USD sophomore Alexander Rusli frequently eats at Pavilion Dining and noticed a change between this year and last year’s lines. 

“I know that we have a lot more kids coming to school here who are freshmen and transfers, so maybe that’s what is causing the long lines,” Rusli said. “I use my meal plan a lot for my older friends, who don’t have meal plans or don’t want to pay the price and wait in line.”

Loryn Johnson, Director of Marketing and Licensing Director at Auxiliary Services, explained why the lines are longer.

“Coming out of COVID, a lot of people want to be around others, so there are a lot more people coming out to Pavillion than ever before. Last night, we hit record numbers [for students dining in at Pavillion],” Johnson said. “In September, we’re always the busiest, because a lot of first-years tend to go there since it’s what’s most familiar to them after having meals there during their orientation.”

Charles Ramos, the Dining Services Director, added that the time of day contributes to the large crowds at Pavilion dining. 

“Usually it was really busy at 7:00 p.m., but now it’s really busy from 6:00 p.m. up until 8:00 p.m., so it’s a larger window of business,” Ramos said. “We take an inventory of what we have at the beginning and what we have at the end of the night and get feedback from our chefs if things are running low or if we should up production on food.”

To get ready for the next day, a majority of the food is largely prepared the night before, with the exception of food cooked on the grill, such as burgers. By considering the data from previous days, Auxiliary Services adjust to what students want nightly. 

USD junior Natalie Wright abstains from eating meat as much as she can, but sometimes the lack of vegetarian options make it difficult to avoid.

“I understand that a lot of people eat meat, but I wish there were more options for those who don’t,” Wright said. “Since I live off campus, I bought the smallest meal plan, so I only have 30 swipes, and I really wish there were more plant-based proteins to sustain myself. I end up just eating meat.”

Students with dietary restrictions have options at every station, but the variety does not change often. Ramos made clear that Dining Services tracks  the numbers, and if more students ate a certain food, they would increase this option in their meal preparation.

“Every station has at least one vegetarian option,” Ramos said. “We always want to add more, but with the sales data, we need to balance with what people are actually asking for.”

Dining Services sustains themselves in their budgeting to feed the students by following the sales data. Similar to other businesses, COVID-19 impacted Dining Services’ labor force, causing many workers to look for work elsewhere.

To account for the aftermath of the pandemic, new restaurants and increased student population, Auxiliary Services is conducting their biggest hiring campaign they have ever done, including both part-time and full-time staff. 

Johnson attributed slower lines and rising prices to inflation, especially since Dining Services is not funded by the university. Auxiliary Services are not financed by USD’s tuition. Additionally, they are the only department at USD that can make a profit. Labor and goods are paid for completely by the meal plans and sales. Due to this, Auxiliary Services are very budget-conscious, and must propel their prices to account for a loss of money. Tu Mercado justifies the products they sell with a price comparison to both Walmart and Target’s items. With their limited budget and facing inflation, USD’s Dining Services works with what they have to satisfy the students.

“Our money comes from the meal plans and our sales from that,” Ramos said. “We have the lowest-priced meal plan out of all the USD peers, and most of [their dining services] are [outside] contracted.”

“USD peers” are other universities that are comparable to USD, such as Santa Clara University, Pepperdine University and Loyola Marymount University. Unlike USD, these schools use an outside company to help cater food to their students. (Santa Clara caters from Sedexo.) Ramos also stated that the beginning of the year consists of mistakes and delays because many workers are still learning how to do their job in a timely manner.  

“Our full-time staff has expanded slightly, but nothing substantial. With student workers, we always have turnover because students graduate, so we need to replace them,” Ramos said. 

USD sophomore Emily Mendel immediately noted the difference in service and lines between this year and last year. 

“I feel like this year has changed a lot of how we’re being let in and out,” Mendel said. “Maybe the lines feel even longer because there’s so many students just packed inside, but I’m not sure how they’d change that, if there are more [total] students this year.”

Dining Services recommended utilizing the “Get Food” app to pre-order meals. Ramos noted that “Get Food” is very popular at Tu Mercado and Aromas, but it can be used at any eatery on campus. To keep up with the deals and themed nights from the Pavilion Dining, the Instagram @eatatusd posts updates for the students. If students are unsatisfied with their eating options, Dining Services are open to suggestions and feedback from the USD community by emailing dining@sandiego.edu.