Culinary Services adapt to COVID-19

Upon walking into the CSB culinary centers, McGlynn’s or Gorecki Dining Center, there are many obvious changes at first sight. From the increase in sanitization stations, the use of gloves and the option of to-go boxes, many adjustments had been made for students to safely return to campus.

These changes, among others, were discussed in a Zoom interview with Kim Poganski, director of culinary services, Justin Smelter, retail manager at McGlynn’s, Carmen Welinki, associate director of Gorecki, and Phil Paulson, Gorecki chef manager. The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has set guidelines for all catering and dining services, giving CSB culinary facilities a baseline.

“CSB as a whole wanted to meet and exceed the MDH guidelines. CSB added gloving after sanitization upon all dining entry as a stacking safety protocol,” Poganski said.

Welinki detailed the minor changes that needed to occur in addition to the need for preparedness and planning, such as mirror beverage stations and two coffee stations. She also discussed some adjustments that have been made since students have returned back to campus, such as opening all food stations on Sept. 21.

The CSB culinary team works very closely and often to ensure safety for staff and students.

“Every week we meet and discuss the week and ways we can change the menu, what else we can put on the table. We had suggestions for pasta and today lines were out the door for it,” Welinski said.

Smelter also discussed the increase in demands for the sandwich line at McGlynn’s in comparison to the grill line. Poganski and Welinki touched on how the changes instilled have been successful.

“[Culinary services staff] did not know what they were walking into. They had their menus set, and many questions they had to work through, and thus far [at Gorecki] there has never been too long of lines and customer and staff safety has remained effective and their priority,” Welinski said.

When discussing the biggest issue thus far in the semester, Paulson reflected, “Overall, compliancy is good, but in repeat sanitization and gloving there has been a few strong words and opinions against their work. This brings up a concern among staff of feared confrontation. Students need to buy in on the changes occurring, and why the changes were instilled.”

All four staff members discussed the initial stress which was placed on each of them regarding all of the changes, and there is a continuation of stress regarding the unknowns of what tomorrow will bring.

Even with the unknowns and the stress of it all, Poganski wanted to express her gratitude saying, “shout out to students who are dining with us, and on campus for their compliance to masking and distancing.”