Adobe Lodge workers leave after switch to Bon Appetit

By Johanna Mitchell

Six Adobe Lodge workers have quit, and current employees are raising concerns about changes made by new management team Bon Appetit, saying that understaffing has led to a stressful working environment. Adobe Lodge contracted Bon Appetit to run the faculty dining facility starting July 1 as part of a year-long pilot program, after Adobe Lodge lost more than $137,000 last fiscal year. The change makes Bon Appetit the sole food service provider on campus.Understaffing has been an issue for many employees, as those who remain are left to pick up the slack, and it has become increasingly hard to cover shifts for students with conflicts, said student supervisors."To say this has been a difficult transition would be an understatement. It has been painful," said student supervisor Katie Ryan. "We are hemorrhaging staff. We have been understaffed since they took over." Jason Landau, Bon Appetit assistant general manager, said Bon Appetit is actively working to hire a full student staff for Adobe Lodge. Landau, who manages Adobe Lodge, said they have already hired eight students this year, and plan to add at least 10 more to ensure students "are comfortable with their shifts and happy to be there."Four students and two staff members quit during the first three months, said Bon Appetit General Manager Lori Flashner. Several of these former employees cited difficulties transitioning to new management as a major factor in this decision, while others simply left for other jobs, internships or study abroad programs. Many student workers also face troubles when scheduling shifts; new hours set by Bon Appetit don't mesh with designated class meeting times like they did under previous management, said Ryan.Ryan said there have been several instances in which students left work in tears, frustrated with small changes and feeling overworked.However, Landau said that Adobe Lodge is now implementing a new scheduling system, where students will sign up for the shifts they want to work in advance. "The idea is to give them more flexibility because there's so much stuff going on, so they don't have to worry about covering other people's shifts," Landau said.This weekend is the first weekend for the new scheduling system, and Landau said he expects it to work well.If there aren't enough students to cover a shift, Landau said they could possibly bring in workers from Benson Memorial Center or other areas, though he added that every event will always be fully staffed."With any switch in management, people are going to be happy and unhappy," said Landau. Joe Sugg, chair of the Adobe Lodge Board of Governors, sent an e-mail to Adobe Lodge members in May that said, "This level of loss cannot continue, and the Board examined a number of alternatives," referring to the $37,100 loss in the 2006 fiscal year and the $137,124 loss on total sales of approximately $1.2 million last year under the management of Torres. The e-mail said there were several alternatives considered to fix the problem, including "replacing the manager, contracting the entire operations or giving the manager another chance to structure a financially viable operation."The Board reached consensus on a new operating model that ... led to pursuit of an arrangement with Bon Appetit for overall management of Adobe Lodge," the e-mail said.Management of the facility was delegated to Landau, who brought about 20 years of food service experience on his resume and said he was excited to usher in several changes to service in the hopes that it would spark changes in other areas."You can't just come in and fix the finances," said Landau. "There is no way to do it. All you can do is fix the operations, and those will fix the financials." However, general server Reena Neogi and other staff members were under the impression that Bon Appetit's main objective was to improve the fiscal situation, and they believe that many of the new adjustments are misdirected."They came in to fix the finances, and now they're trying to fix everything that doesn't need to be fixed," said Neogi, a senior who has worked at Adobe Lodge since her sophomore year.Some changes include pouring water directly into patrons' glasses instead of providing pitchers at tables and adjusting the presentation of dishes for a more aesthetically pleasing look, said Landau.Regular customer Bev Olivo, senior administrative assistant in the marketing department, said she has noticed small touches that make Adobe Lodge seem "more like a restaurant," including changes to interior decorating and presentation of silverware and napkins.Though most student workers said they didn't mind changes to the kitchen operations and presentation, they do not welcome changes to the process of serving clients. These employees said they are frustrated with new management telling them what clients want. Additionally, the students said some of the changes to floor operations, like moving stocked items, make catering less efficient.Landau said that Bon Appetit could have made bigger changes to Adobe Lodge, but they wanted to maintain its ambiance.Employees pride themselves on service and a high degree of camaraderie, said Ryan, who currently lives off campus with friends she met on the job and refers to her coworkers as her "second family."Senior Nicole Belanger, a former student supervisor, said Adobe Lodge holds a special place in her heart as a "work-hard, play-hard" type of environment.Difficulties with the transition were only minor factors in Belanger's decision to turn in her two weeks' notice recently, she said, outweighed by her need to focus on her studies.Neogi said she has no plans to leave, and she is willing to handle hectic scheduling for the fun atmosphere and friendly coworkers.Jobs at Adobe Lodge can be lucrative, as well: Servers make minimum wage but receive tips that can add up to a total of $11.50 an hour on an average workday, said Neogi.However, students looking to make a little extra money working additional hours are no longer allowed to do so, as overtime work is not permitted under new management, said Ryan.Landau says this adjustment was made at the request of the university. The 20-hour limit set for all undergraduate student workers had been ignored in the past, he said, and Bon Appetit plans to enforce employment rules to help students maintain a good "work-life balance."The future of Adobe Lodge will be determined by the Board of Governors when the group meets to discuss long-term management options in January. Sugg said finances will be a big part of determining whether Bon Appetit will continue to run Adobe Lodge next year.Contact Johanna Mitchell at (408) 554-4546 or jjmitchell@scu.edu.