Board of trustees picks new food service company

by Nicholas Hendrix

Florida A&M’s board of trustees met Tuesday to decide on a new food service provider.
The board had four companies to review, including Aramark and Metz Culinary Management.
In a 6-5 vote, the board chose Metz Culinary Management as its new food service provider. The contract will span five years and will include expansion of the current dining services.
Interim President Larry Robinson said Metz Culinary Management “is a leader in the industry.”
According to Robinson, Metz Culinary Management currently ranks No. 20 on Food Management Magazine’s list of the top 50 management companies in the United States.
John Metz, executive chairman of Metz, said the company looks forward to working with FAMU.
“We spend a lot of time visiting campus,” Metz said. “We see a lot of opportunities for improvement.”
The new contract with Metz will begin in January. The current contract with Sodexo will expire in December.
Trustee Belinda Reed Shannon said dining services will be improved.
“The amount proposed by Metz is going to be used to improve the dining services on campus,” Shannon said.
According to Metz, the company currently has contracts with 13 universities and 140 other operations. Only one of those schools is an HBCU, and none are located in Florida.
Anthony Siders, student body president and university trustee, said he is concerned about the current size of the dining facilities.
“It’s packed two or three days out of the week,” Siders said.
He was also concerned that once the new 800-bed residence facility is complete, the café will not be able to seat all students.
Currently, students can choose from Tropical Smoothie, Pizza Hut, WOW Wingery and other food options.
Metz representative Rebecca Brown said students will not many changes in January.
“We are still making decisions as to the type of retail brands that will be brought to campus,”Brown said. ”But there should be a difference in the level of service and quality of food.”
Current meal plan prices will remain unchanged for the first 18 months for faculty and students.
The board also ratified the FAMU United Faculty of Florida Memorandum of Agreement. This will provide in-unit faculty members with a pay increase.
Faculty members with a salary of $40,000 or less will receive a pay increase of $1,400. Faculty members making more than $40,00 0will receive a $1,000 increase.
The motion was unanimously ratified.
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