Kylemore to take over all on-campus catering and food outlets (apart from SU shops_

gerardduff

dyl10 wrote: »

....it's similar to what happened in government in recent years, raising income at the expense of the student while not tackling the conflicting interests of other financial wastes within the university.

Bullseye!

The earlier post claiming this is not a student issues is shortsighted to say the least.

Raphael wrote: »

....Don't see why this is anything to do with the SU, tbh. It's not really a student issue. I imagine the reason this is happening over the summer is to minimise the disruption while the changeover is occuring.

parker kent

dyl10 wrote: »

Whether most people care about monopolies or not is of little importance, in the face of an alternative they should not exist, especially not in the context of a facility that arguably belongs to the State or the customers of that monopoly.

It's beyond ridiculous to claim that anything improving the University's financial situation is a good thing. That was probably an acceptable thought processes several centuries ago or in Nazi Germany but it's bewildering here.
Your point regarding UCD finances would be more palatable if such gross wastes of money wasn't occurring elsewhere in the university, exorbitant senior salaries being a major one.

Your interpretation of this cost saver seems analogous to the alcoholic father making cutbacks on his children's lifestyle while not curbing his own expenditure. Dare I say it, it's similar to what happened in government in recent years, raising income at the expense of the student while not tackling the conflicting interests of other financial wastes within the university.

Talk about an over reaction. Do you really think a line saying that more money coming into a University with severe debts is a good thing is something akin to Nazi Germany? Really? Why is that "beyond ridiculous"? The University needs money. Costs are being cut left, right and centre. Funds for front line staff, library budget etc are being cut. So tell me why me saying in an off-the-cuff manner that more money coming into UCD is a bad thing? Particularly when you use such ridiculous, over-the-top language in your rebuttal.

Show me where I said that there are not issues with waste in UCD? Show me where I said that senior salaries are not too high? Show me where I say almost any of the nonsense that you claim I said/inferred. Until you do, throwing out such populist arguments is completely unnecessary. But this is not a thread on every single aspect of UCD that I'd improve. Although it goes without saying that students are not faced with the full picture that actual senior management in the University will face. It is easy to be idealistic on here, but it is probably far different when dealing with it on a University wide level.

Also, it is hardly a thought worthy of Nazi Germany to say that whilst it was mismanaged, we should wait and see what the new facilities are actually like before having banal student rebellion because the person making your wrap is being paid by somebody else than last year. For all we know, economies of scale could lead to better prices for students (not saying it will happen or that it is likely to happen, but again I am just saying lets wait and see what happens before having a hissy fit).

Just to repeat, I am very sympathetic to the previous lease holders on campus. Although personally, I'll only miss Cafe Fresca.

CramCycle

parker kent wrote: »

Whilst I disagree with the decision, I don't think we should say things like that here. They are after all just people doing a job and there may be perfectly valid reasons for the decision. It definitely seems it could have been handled much, much better and the previous operators seem to have got a raw deal. But the above strikes me as a pretty immature response.

They are people doing a job? Surely they wouldn't get such abuse if the job was being done in a more appropriate, correct and transparent manner.

graduate wrote: »

The University currently has seventeen locations for meals and snacks on the Belfield campus. The catering services in the Science Centre and the Forum Club are closed due to construction work.

This summer, the licences to operate seven of the existing food service outlets expired and the University put these licences out to public tender. As the licences have expired, these outlets are currently closed.

These operations are located in:

- Quinn building

- Conway building

- Newman building

- Richview

- Veterinary Sciences centre

- Health Sciences building

- James Joyce Library

However, eight outlets are operating fully. These are located in:

- The main restaurant

- The SU shop, ground floor, James Joyce Library

- Café Brava, SU centre

- The Students’ Club

- Centra, Merville residences

- Café Spóirt

- Nova

- The staff common room

A s a result of the fair and transparent tender competition, Kylemore Catering, an Irish company which operates at a number of educational establishments including University College Cork(anyone I have met from UCC complains about Kylemore),

Queen’s University Belfast,

(anyone I have met from Queens complains about Kylemore)and Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland(anyone I have met from RCSI never eats there), was selected to operate the seven locations. It has undertaken to provide a co-ordinated, multicultural food offering with a range of foods designed to appeal to the increasing and diverse preferences of both students and staff. In addition, it will introduce a consistent and co-ordinated approach to healthy eating for staff and students.

As part of the process, staff of previous operators have been offered continued employment by Kylemore Catering.

Kylemore Catering has guaranteed no price increases over current prices for at least one year. It has also agreed to support and sponsor the University� �s student endeavours and will actively seek to recruit students to work in their food outlets.

At present Kylemore is in the process of rolling out a substantial refurbishment and upgrading programme and the aim is to have the majority of outlets open within the next couple of weeks, in time for the start of the teaching term. We regret the disruption that may have been caused due to the unavoidable temporary closure of the outlets but feel sure that the benefits that the project will bring will be worth that inconvenience.

A further delay may occur to three outlets as a result of a legal challenge, but the University is confident and committed to dealing with these matters in the very near future.

The University will make every effort to open these outlets as soon as possible and apologises for a ny inconvenience to students, staff and visitors.

Gary Moss,

Commercial Manager

Sorry Gary but IMHO, your team screwed the pooch and should be ashamed, unfortunately student and public activism isn't what it is/was and the only benefit to this is you will have less people to deal with, can't see anyone else coming off well in this.

When are the tenders up for renewal again, does anyone know?

Marygoss

Another day of poor coffee & crap service in Ucd food outlets .. Would love to know where the powers that be are dining ? Or hiding for that matter

Raphael

Deleted the last 2 posts as they weren't relevant to the discussion.

PMack

As another frequent user of Cafe Fresca, Insomnia and 911 can I add my thanks for the quality of the service and the choice that you provided to the UCD users.

I am very disappointed by the decision made by UCD.
Personally I have started patronising the off-campus "Barista on Duty" cafe next to the Montrose and will probably stick with this for my morning coffee and danish if Kylemore/UCD is successful in shutting down the other outlets.

My experience was that Elements started out with very high quality food when it first opened- but there was a noticeable drop in quality and choice after about 12 months.

I may be one of the few people on the campus who actually admit to liking Starbucks coffee - but I never found the Elements coffee to taste anything like what a true Starbucks cafe provides. Maybe its to do with the specific type of bean or the espresso machine that they use? I don't know. In any case having more of this available in other locations doesn't do anything to lessen the blow for me.

If the court challenges to the tendering process don't return Insomnia and Cafe Fresca to campus I really hope that they look at the option of opening up across the road at the Cranford centre. I agree with other posters that there is a great commercial opportunity to open a proper foodcourt there.

Alternatively maybe they should consider the option of getting a mobile food van and a casual trading license and just pulling up alongside one of the gates into UCD?

gerardduff

PMack wrote: »

My experience was that Elements started out with very high quality food when it first opened- but there was a noticeable drop in quality and choice after about 12 months.

Ever decreasing pizza toppings...I know what you mean..whatever happened to the long opening hours, not to mention the serving of wine...lol. All we got was musical chairs and rolling news.

PMack wrote: »

... but I never found the Elements coffee to taste anything like what a true Starbucks cafe provides. Maybe its to do with the specific type of bean or the espresso machine that they use? I don't know. In any case having more of this available in other locations doesn't do anything to lessen the blow for me.

I often went in there and saw pre pulled shots, and I was dumb enough not to complain, my apologies, that won't happen again!
Opportunity knocks..
Making good coffee requires skill, care and attention and that way it's worth every bit of the 2.50 we pay. If you want to make crap coffee go ahead, but don't charge 2.50 it!

Desmo

I just saw a coffee machine being installed in the Conway. It is a crappy little yoke that you press a button on to choose coffee or late or espresso. It is slow and the coffee is not nearly as good as the real Italian machine that used to be in Insomnia (and which cost a fortune). Oh, and it sounds like the coffee is going to be made with child labour and will be blessed by the church.

Raphael

Upshot being, that they're finally ****ing moving in and I might be able to get lunch without having to go to Brava next week.

CramCycle

Haven't been in the Conway today but there is no sign of movement in Fresca. Has the court issue being resolved or is there just a temporary machine being put in there to keep the postgrads from flipping?

I'm bringing my machine back in next week and set it up in our kitchen over in HS. I'll just leave a note telling people to clean it or it will be moved to my desk permanently.

groovyg

Health Sciences is pretty dead at the mo, services are gone as well. I haven't heard anything about Cafe Fresca and I doubt if the court case will come to anything. I would think it's only matter of time before Cafe Java or Starbucks will be setting up shop there. They'd want to hurry up though all the first years will be in next week and then classes start on the 12th.

CramCycle

groovyg wrote: »

Health Sciences is pretty dead at the mo, services are gone as well. I haven't heard anything about Cafe Fresca and I doubt if the court case will come to anything. I would think it's only matter of time before Cafe Java or Starbucks will be setting up shop there. They'd want to hurry up though all the first years will be in next week and then classes start on the 12th.

Services are being replaced by an info computer, not sure what they are going to do for the rooms that need AV components before lectures and security will be doing the lock up at the end of the day is what I gathered from the townhall meeting awhile ago but I was in the lab so the info could have been relais incorrectly to me.

My understanding is there will nothing done until the courtcase is over, I was inquiring had something come of it yet as I wasn't clear what was meant in Raphael/Desmos posts.

Desmo

CramCycle wrote: »

Services are being replaced by an info computer, not sure what they are going to do for the rooms that need AV components before lectures and security will be doing the lock up at the end of the day is what I gathered from the townhall meeting awhile ago but I was in the lab so the info could have been relais incorrectly to me.

My understanding is there will nothing done until the courtcase is over, I was inquiring had something come of it yet as I wasn't clear what was meant in Raphael/Desmos posts.

There has been some work in the Conway; they installed a new coffee machine that looks like the one that will be used in the new shop; it is already filling me with even more enthuasiasm (not) as it is not as good a machine as what was in Insomnia.

Desmo

New Conway coffee place opening tomorrow. Just talked to Sylvia who used to work in the old Insomnia who will be in the new place plus Ondrej. It already has a big Starbucks sign up and they are busy unpacking all the stuff.

CramCycle

Desmo wrote: »

New Conway coffee place opening tomorrow. Just talked to Sylvia who used to work in the old Insomnia who will be in the new place plus Ondrej. It already has a big Starbucks sign up and they are busy unpacking all the stuff.

Still cleaning up when I went by this morning, looks very sterile and unwelcoming.

On the other hand, the pulse logos are all down in Cafe Fresca and the cafe Fresca crew have signs up apologising for their closure and that they will be open ASAP. Seen a few in there this morning setting up and the Cafe Fresca was in there this morning, maybe the case is going well or Kylemore gave in on this one?

CramCycle

Update on this, just over for a break in the SU centre and walked past the manger/owner of Cafe Fresca just outside chatting with people, looks quite pleased.

Cafe Fresca seems to be getting a make over anyway, all the paintings have come down, not sure precisely what is happening here.

Queues at Cafe Brava already, can only imagine how bad this will get once term starts back proper.

Red Alert

CramCycle wrote: »

Update on this, just over for a break in the SU centre and walked past the manger/owner of Cafe Fresca just outside chatting with people, looks quite pleased.

Hope this one is going well!

groovyg

CramCycle wrote: »

On the other hand, the pulse logos are all down in Cafe Fresca and the cafe Fresca crew have signs up apologising for their closure and that they will be open ASAP. Seen a few in there this morning setting up and the Cafe Fresca was in there this morning, maybe the case is going well or Kylemore gave in on this one?

Wow thats a turn of events, really hope its good news for cafe fresca. I was just over in Arts and the cafe over there has a sign Java coming soon and Readers is replacing 911, no sign of when though.

stop

CramCycle wrote: »

Update on this, just over for a break in the SU centre and walked past the manger/owner of Cafe Fresca just outside chatting with people, looks quite pleased.

Spoiler, he lost in court.

CramCycle

stop wrote: »

Spoiler, he lost in court.

Quite possible, I passed through on the way home last night and he had stripped out all the furniture and the paintings etc. Pity as that note on the window had gotten my hopes up.

The Starbucks in Conway looks dire and horrifically sterile/unfriendly, not sure if they were serving y'day though. They had everything set up and the staff were drinking coffee but not one person in the sit down area had any of their coffee, they all had their own from upstairs.

CramCycle

Well most of the staff are back in the Conway (one new guy/person I didn't recognise). The place looks very unwelcoming. I bit the bullet and tried the coffee. Have to say, very disappointed, smelt like coffee but there was no taste to it (well very weak at best), I hope the staff do well (not there fault they have to serve weak coffee) there but I won't be back and considering it will be the same coffee downstairs here I think it will be the last coffee I buy in UCD.

Also 4.25 for a small toasted cheese sandwich, holy crap they are expensive.

Stuff getting moved in downstairs in HS as well, suppose its a good thing as I will save a fortune bringing a packed lunch everyday.

Marygoss

CramCycle wrote: »

Well most of the staff are back in the Conway (one new guy/person I didn't recognise). The place looks very unwelcoming. I bit the bullet and tried the coffee. Have to say, very disappointed, smelt like coffee but there was no taste to it (well very weak at best), I hope the staff do well (not there fault they have to serve weak coffee) there but I won't be back and considering it will be the same coffee downstairs here I think it will be the last coffee I buy in UCD.

Also 4.25 for a small toasted cheese sandwich, holy crap they are expensive.

Stuff getting moved in downstairs in HS as well, suppose its a good thing as I will save a fortune bringing a packed lunch everyday.

4.50 for an egg sandwich bloomer , very dear. Also some little hitler women with short blonde hair barking out orders to the girls . Feel sorry for the staff ,

mloc

Almost all of the sandwiches have mayonnaise in them.

This upsets me greatly.

deanswift

jaysus god help the spoilt brats of D4 land yez'll b poisoned caill mor irish for big loss ............belfield will run out of their special brand of jax paper....u know the stuff that never wipes ur arse

ironclaw

deanswift wrote: »

jaysus god help the spoilt brats of D4 land yez'll b poisoned caill mor irish for big loss ............belfield will run out of their special brand of jax paper....u know the stuff that never wipes ur arse

Not everyone that goes to UCD is from D4 and not everyone who goes to UCD is a spoiled brat. Many students scrimp by on grants and the hard graft. A testament to that is that this thread highlights the human aspect of all this i.e. The staff versus the lack of variety in the food offerings in UCD.

Take the chip on your shoulder and go elsewhere.

Marygoss

It's really the staff who are working for them that I feel sorry for as they will get all hassle, still can't get over 4.50 for a stale bloomer

Desmo

ironclaw wrote: »

Not everyone that goes to UCD is from D4 and not everyone who goes to UCD is a spoiled brat. Many students scrimp by on grants and the hard graft. A testament to that is that this thread highlights the human aspect of all this i.e. The staff versus the lack of variety in the food offerings in UCD.

Take the chip on your shoulder and go elsewhere.

Dean Swift more or less invented what we now know as satire.

Marygoss

what have they done to the arts cafe,looks like centra with seats:eek:,and where all the staff gone,looks like only the manageress is still around...

rondon

Is the forum bar open this year? Or whats its story altogether?

WeeBushy

rondon wrote: »

Is the forum bar open this year? Or whats its story altogether?

No, it won't be open until January the earliest, though much more probably not until next June/September.