The Chronicle 18-19 Issue 03

6 The Chronicle February 26 - March 18, 2019 chronicle.durhamcollege.ca Campus
Dishing food on campus
Victoria Marcelle
The Chronicle
24
HOURS
DC UOIT
When students grab a coffee before
class or a pizza slice at lunch, it's
easy to forget about the people who
spend their days making it possible.
Todd McKinnon, who works for
Aramark as the company's food
services director at Durham College
and UOIT, ensures all bellies
on campus are full every day. Mc-
Kinnon says he enjoys working at a
busy location and serving a trendy
crowd.
"Between the four cashiers at
Marketplace, 2,500 POS (point of
sale) transactions are done a day.
We sell 10,000 [slices] of Pizza Pizza
a month," says McKinnon.
Aramark makes 70 per cent of its
daily profits during lunchtime. Peak
business times are between 11:30
a.m. and 1:30 p.m., he says.
McKinnon manages the day-today
operations of every food location
on campus. He says 13 managers
report directly to him and he
is responsible for 180 employees.
“My daily duties are to make sure
that we are fully staffed, we have
all the food we need to serve the
students, that our locations look the
way they're supposed to look and
coach my staff and managers,” says
McKinnon.
Developing business strategy
and meeting company standards
around clean food guidelines are
McKinnon's responsibility, while
Lisa Whitlock, assistant director, is
in charge of implementation.
Her approach to work is more
hands-on, because she is physically
present on the floor, says McKinnon.
“I’m trying to be out there more,
because I want to see what we're
doing right and what we're doing
wrong and trying to make sure that
we are providing the best customer
service we can. Sometimes that
is tough when I have spreadsheets
to build," says McKinnon with a
laugh.
Who makes the final decision on
what food reaches students' plates?
Menu options and pricing is determined
by each branded partner,
such as Pizza Pizza, Smoke's
Poutinerie and Extreme Pita, says
McKinnon.
"Because we're in a unique environment...we
have a little bit of
leeway [as far as dietary restrictions
go] because our clientele is so niche.
A regular Pizza Pizza out on the
street is a traditional location, we're
non-traditional," says McKinnon.
Certain products such as gluten-free
pizza, available at traditional
locations, is not possible
because of the lack of facilities
available on campus. Aramark tries
to make up for that with its proprietary
brands, such as Pan Fusion,
says McKinnon.
"We have total control over that
menu and try to do more vegetarian
and healthier options. While
Smoke's and Pizza Pizza are
Marketplace's best-selling brands,
and represent the biggest source of
revenue, they're not the healthiest,"
says McKinnon.
"That's why we implemented the
vertical salad bar."
Each branded partner has reps
who do audits to ensure their brand
is being represented properly for
everything from food presentation
to employee clothing.
During the bi-weekly audits,
McKinnon can make suggestions
based on customer feedback. That
doesn't guarantee changes will be
made, for example, on menu items.
From customizable pita wraps to
chocolate zucchini muffins, Mc-
Kinnon strives to provide the best
food experience for students.
Photographs by Victoria Marcelle
(Top left photo) Todd McKinnon, food services director at Durham College and UOIT.
(Top right to bottom) Marketplace's pizza-making process.