Katie Grimaldi - Region 2

​During my foodservice management rotation at a local college, I had the opportunity to work within a dining system that included one main dining hall and two retail locations. This experience gave me a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to successfully manage large-scale food operations while maintaining quality, safety, and customer satisfaction.
 
From day one, I was a part of the operational and administrative sides of foodservice management. I learned to navigate menu planning, production, and staff scheduling. Collaborating closely with the Sodexo management team allowed me to understand how each decision affects both efficiency and the student dining experience.
 
One of my main projects involved analyzing student dining satisfaction and identifying barriers that affected participation. Through surveys, I learned that many students struggled to fit dining hall visits into their schedules due to class conflicts. To address this, I helped promote and streamline the use of the college’s pre-order meal website, which allows students to order ahead for pickup from the dining hall. After marketing the system through campus signage and digital announcements, we saw a steady increase in online orders and positive feedback from students who appreciated the added flexibility and convenience.
 
I also led a retail marketing project focused on nutrition education. I created two smoothies to teach students about the importance of “eating the rainbow” and getting a variety of nutrients in their diets. I promoted the smoothies through social media, signage, and tabling events. Students responded positively, many saying that they enjoyed trying the smoothies and would like to see smoothies in the dining hall more often.
 
Overall, this experience enhanced my leadership, communication, and analytical skills while learning the operational side of running a foodservice location. Seeing measurable outcomes made this rotation incredibly meaningful and I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity!

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