Institute Dining Review
Summary of Open Meeting Comments

Last Updated: December 18, 1996

The following is a summary of the comments we received during our open meetings and focus groups. Comments are listed by category (availability, nutrition, quality, etc.). Each comment is listed with a table, which describes the meetings and focus groups from which we heard that comment. The table is set up as follows:

Availability
Likes Dislikes and Problems
None given.
General
  • Current "Hours of Operation" do not meet the needs of many students. During some times of the day and evening there is no open food service and students have no where to eat.
    • 16 D: 2 GF: 0 GS: 3 UI: 1 UD: 1 UX: 2 UN: 7
    Lunch
  • Capacity: Space in MIT facilities during lunch is inadequate. Lines (especially Lobdell) are too long, and it can be very difficult to find a table.
    • 8 D: 3 GF: 0 GS: 0 UI: 1 UD: 1 UX: 1 UN: 2
  • Time: Lunch is often grab-and-go due to tight schedules. It takes too long to get lunch at an MIT facility. Some students skip lunch due to time constraints.
    • 5 D: 2 GF: 0 GS: 0 UI: 0 UD: 1 UX: 1 UN: 1
  • Hours: Students need places that serve lunch after 2-3 pm.
    • 5 D: 1 GF: 1 GS: 1 UI: 0 UD: 0 UX: 0 UN: 2
    Dinner / Evening
  • Dining halls' evening hours are too limited. MIT needs "real" dinner options that serve healthy meals after 7 pm. Currently, only options after 7pm are Networks, Pritchett, Coffeehouse and convenience stores, none of which serve "dinner." Nothing is open after midnight; something should be open until 1-2 am.
    • 16 D: 2 GF: 0 GS: 3 UI: 1 UD: 1 UX: 2 UN: 7
    Weekends
  • Not enough facilities are open on weekends. In particular, nothing is open on the far east side of campus.
    • 4 D: 2 GF: 1 GS: 0 UI: 0 UD: 1 UX: 0 UN: 0
    Additional Needs
  • Need a convenient, low cost grocery store.
    • 5 D: 0 GF: 2 GS: 2 UI: 0 UD: 0 UX: 1 UN: 0
  • Need more vending machines around campus.
    • 1 D: 0 GF: 0 GS: 1 UI: 0 UD: 0 UX: 0 UN: 0
  • Need a sit-down restaurant.
    • 1 D: 1 GF: 0 GS: 0 UI: 0 UD: 0 UX: 0 UN: 0

    Graduate Students
    Likes Dislikes and Problems
    None given.
    • Graduate students have tight budgets and need to economize; consequently, MIT facilities are too expensive to use on a regular basis.
      • 4 D: 0 GF: 2 GS: 2 UI: 0 UD: 0 UX: 0 UN: 0
    • Some did express a need for a dining service for graduate students. They would be willing to pay $4-$5 for a full meal, provided the quality was good.
      • 2 D: 0 GF: 0 GS: 2 UI: 0 UD: 0 UX: 0 UN: 0

    Health
    Likes Dislikes and Problems
    Sanitation
  • Aramark dining areas are reasonably clean.
    • 1 D: 0 GF: 0 GS: 0 UI: 0 UD: 0 UX: 0 UN: 1
    Nutrition
  • You have to make an effort to eat nutritionally: you have to choose a location, then you have to find items that make a balanced meal (which can be very difficult), and then you have to decide whether you can afford those items.
    • 6 D: 1 GF: 0 GS: 1 UI: 1 UD: 2 UX: 1 UN: 0
  • Too much of an emphasis on junk / fast food rather than on substantial, nutritious offerings.
    • 9 D: 1 GF: 0 GS: 1 UI: 2 UD: 1 UX: 1 UN: 3
  • Nutritional selections are too expensive -- healthy selections are considerably more expensive than junk. Fruit and vegetables are too expensive, and are of poor quality.
    • 10 D: 1 GF: 0 GS: 1 UI: 0 UD: 2 UX: 1 UN: 5
  • Students need more nutritional information on food offerings.
    • 4 D: 0 GF: 0 GS: 0 UI: 1 UD: 2 UX: 0 UN: 1
  • Time constraints, poor food quality, food expense, and a lack of healthy options are all forcing some students into unhealthy eating habits; a few sometimes don't eat.
    • 11 D: 1 GF: 0 GS: 2 UI: 0 UD: 1 UX: 2 UN: 5
    Sanitation
  • Aramark operations have poor sanitation.
    • 4 D: 1 GF: 0 GS: 0 UI: 0 UD: 0 UX: 0 UN: 3
  • Food Trucks have poor sanitation.
    • 3 D: 0 GF: 1 GS: 0 UI: 0 UD: 0 UX: 1 UN: 1

    Personal Cooking
    Likes Dislikes and Problems
    General
  • Cheaper than MIT food service.
    • 9 D: 0 GF: 2 GS: 2 UI: 0 UD: 0 UX: 2 UN: 3
  • With some effort, can mean guaranteed nutrition, quality, and sanitation.
    • 9 D: 0 GF: 1 GS: 2 UI: 0 UD: 0 UX: 2 UN: 4
    Groceries
  • GSC shuttle is a valuable service.
    • 8 D: 0 GF: 2 GS: 3 UI: 0 UD: 0 UX: 1 UN: 2
    Kitchens
  • If kept clean and functioning (by students), kitchens can be an important social center.
    • 5 D: 0 GF: 0 GS: 1 UI: 0 UD: 0 UX: 1 UN: 3
    General
  • Can lead to poor quality food, poor sanitation, and very bad nutritional habits.
    • 3 D: 0 GF: 0 GS: 1 UI: 0 UD: 0 UX: 1 UN: 1
  • Time consuming.
    • 4 D: 0 GF: 0 GS: 2 UI: 0 UD: 0 UX: 0 UN: 2
    Groceries
  • Laverde's is too expensive to use on a regular basis.
    • 8 D: 1 GF: 1 GS: 2 UI: 0 UD: 0 UX: 2 UN: 2
  • Getting to the Star Market is inconvenient: you have to go in a car with a group, or take the GSC shuttle (which takes two hours).
    • 5 D: 0 GF: 1 GS: 2 UI: 0 UD: 0 UX: 1 UN: 1
  • Have limited access to fresh food; fruits and vegetables go bad even when bought weekly.
    • 3 D: 0 GF: 0 GS: 0 UI: 0 UD: 0 UX: 1 UN: 2
  • Internet grocery services have problems with quality, accuracy, and unreliable deliveries.
    • 3 D: 0 GF: 1 GS: 2 UI: 0 UD: 0 UX: 0 UN: 0
    Kitchens
  • Kitchens can have big problems with cleanliness, since residents are solely responsible for cleaning. Some kitchens have pest control problems.
    • 2 D: 0 GF: 0 GS: 1 UI: 0 UD: 0 UX: 1 UN: 0
  • Kitchen equipment is often too limited, and the equipment isn't maintained properly.
    • 5 D: 0 GF: 0 GS: 1 UI: 0 UD: 0 UX: 1 UN: 3
  • Many students cook in their rooms with hot plates and rice cookers. (This is considered to be a major safety hazard.)
    • 2 D: 0 GF: 0 GS: 0 UI: 0 UD: 1 UX: 1 UN: 0

    Quality
    Likes Dislikes and Problems
    • Food edible or better, and better than at other universities some students were familiar with.
      • 6 D: 2 GF: 0 GS: 0 UI: 0 UD: 1 UX: 1 UN: 2
    • Walker received positive comments about food quality and the ambience of the hall.
      • 7 D: 1 GF: 0 GS: 1 UI: 1 UD: 1 UX: 1 UN: 2
    • Food trucks have good offerings: cheap, tasty and nutritious.
      • 12 D: 2 GF: 1 GS: 2 UI: 1 UD: 1 UX: 0 UN: 5
    • Quality too low for what you get (see Value); food quality generally too low.
      • 9 D: 2 GF: 0 GS: 1 UI: 1 UD: 1 UX: 0 UN: 4
    • Food has too much grease.
      • 7 D: 0 GF: 0 GS: 1 UI: 1 UD: 1 UX: 1 UN: 3

    Service
    Likes Dislikes and Problems
    • Cashiers are friendly at Walker.
      • 1 D: 0 GF: 0 GS: 0 UI: 0 UD: 0 UX: 0 UN: 1
    • Friendlier service is needed.
      • 7 D: 1 GF: 0 GS: 0 UI: 0 UD: 1 UX: 0 UN: 2
    • It can be hard to find someone to talk to if you have a problem with MIT food service; people aren't responsive.
      • 2 D: 0 GF: 0 GS: 0 UI: 0 UD: 0 UX: 1 UN: 1
    • MIT Catering is not reliable, and there is no one to complain to about poor service.
      • 1 D: 1 GF: 0 GS: 0 UI: 0 UD: 0 UX: 0 UN: 0

    Social
    Likes Dislikes and Problems
    • Students in dormitories with dining halls (or that had dining halls) felt the halls were very important to maintain social interactions between residents.
      • 6 D: 1 GF: 0 GS: 0 UI: 0 UD: 2 UX: 2 UN: 1
    • ILG residents felt their dining programs were an important part of their house communities, and provided very good, reasonably priced food.
      • 5 D: 1 GF: 0 GS: 0 UI: 4 UD: 0 UX: 0 UN: 0
    • Students in dormitories with closed dining halls felt this loss meant a loss of valuable social opportunities and were causing the dorms to lose cohesiveness.
      • 3 D: 0 GF: 0 GS: 1 UI: 0 UD: 0 UX: 2 UN: 0
    • The public dining halls (especially Lobdell) do little to encourage social interaction, and may need to be redesigned.
      • 6 D: 3 GF: 0 GS: 0 UI: 0 UD: 1 UX: 1 UN: 1
    • Some residential graduate students felt that social interaction between their fellow housemates (and fellow students in general) was greatly missed, and that interactions between grad students occurred in their departments, if at all. They have "fond memories" of standardized board plans at their undergraduate colleges, and miss the social interactions those plans engendered.
      • 3 D: 0 GF: 1 GS: 2 UI: 0 UD: 0 UX: 0 UN: 0

    Special Eating Needs
    Likes Dislikes and Problems
    None given.
    Athletes
  • Need options for dinner after 7:30 pm. Need options for breakfast before 9:00 am.
    • 3 D: 1 GF: 0 GS: 0 UI: 0 UD: 1 UX: 0 UN: 1
    Ethnic food in general
  • Need more authentic ethnic offerings.
    • 9 D: 2 GF: 0 GS: 1 UI: 1 UD: 1 UX: 2 UN: 2
    Kosher
  • Availability too limited. The Kosher Kitchen and the Bio Cafe are not open enough, and the Bio Cafe's selection is too limited.
    • 2 D: 0 GF: 0 GS: 0 UI: 0 UD: 0 UX: 1 UN: 1
    Vegetarian
  • Choices are too limited; need more options.
    • 6 D: 1 GF: 0 GS: 0 UI: 1 UD: 0 UX: 1 UN: 3
    Women
  • Women have different dietary needs than men; any food service program needs to cater to their needs (especially to how much they eat).
    • 5 D: 1 GF: 0 GS: 1 UI: 1 UD: 1 UX: 1 UN: 0
  • Some women are obsessing over dieting and getting thin.
    • 1 D: 0 GF: 0 GS: 0 UI: 1 UD: 0 UX: 0 UN: 0

    Value
    Likes Dislikes and Problems
    • Food prices are reasonable.
      • 1 D: 1 GF: 0 GS: 0 UI: 0 UD: 0 UX: 0 UN: 0
    • Food trucks offer a filling decent meal for a good price.
      • 17 D: 2 GF: 2 GS: 3 UI: 1 UD: 2 UX: 1 UN: 6
    • Nutritional food is too expensive; it should cost less than junk food, not much more.
      • 6 D: 0 GF: 0 GS: 0 UI: 1 UD: 2 UX: 1 UN: 2
    • It is too expensive to get a full meal from an MIT facility; often, a full meal is cheaper in a local restaurant than it is in Walker or Lobdell.
      • 9 D: 0 GF: 1 GS: 2 UI: 0 UD: 1 UX: 0 UN: 5
    • "Packaged foods" (drinks, bottled beverages, chips, etc.) are too expensive.
      • 5 D: 1 GF: 0 GS: 0 UI: 0 UD: 0 UX: 1 UN: 3
    • MIT Catering is too expensive.
      • 1 D: 1 GF: 0 GS: 0 UI: 0 UD: 0 UX: 0 UN: 0
    • In general, the food here is just too expensive for what you get.
      • 17 D: 3 GF: 1 GS: 3 UI: 1 UD: 2 UX: 1 UN: 6

    Variety
    Likes Dislikes and Problems
    • MIT dining facilities have offer a good variety of foods.
      • 2 D: 2 GF: 0 GS: 0 UI: 0 UD: 0 UX: 0 UN: 0
    • MIT services have limited choices; need more options.
      • 8 D: 0 GF: 0 GS: 1 UI: 0 UD: 1 UX: 1 UN: 5
    • Food selections are the same things days after day; nothing ever changes.
      • 5 D: 0 GF: 0 GS: 1 UI: 0 UD: 0 UX: 0 UN: 4
    • Fresh foods generally aren't available.
      • 5 D: 1 GF: 0 GS: 0 UI: 1 UD: 1 UX: 0 UN: 2

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    Last Revised 1/13/97