Hello! My name is Jennifer Collins and I just recently finished my Food Services Management Rotation at Cox Federal Cafe in San Diego, California. I learned a great deal about food service management from a great preceptor and her team at Cox. One of my favorite experiences during this rotation was during a special catering event we held for the department heads at the Cox corporate office. It was basically a High Tea/Open Forum event that gave my preceptor and upper-management an opportunity to exchange ideas about Sodexo's catering services. The upper-management at Cox represents over 500 Cox employees in the area. The intention of the High Tea Forum was to find ways to satisfy the client while raising catering sales; which attributes to almost half of the cafe's yearly revenue. In order to make sure the event was a success, I had to be sure that tasks were completed in a timely manner, communication between management and staff was clear, and issues were resolved quickly and efficiently. Needless to say, this event was recognized as highly useful and is set to become a quarterly meeting between the cafe and Cox's upper-management. I learned that planning and hosting events like this is no small feat. Finding vendors and suppliers for events takes time in order to find the best value. Searching for specific items like placemats, tea sets, and utensil holders can also be a daunting task. Time management is vital. It also helps to establish a shared vision with the staff as it helps with accomplishing set goals and making what is planned a success.
