Hello everyone! My name is Sydney Bovender and am a Sodexo intern in Jacksonville, Florida. I am currently in my food service management rotation at CSX Headquarters and am enjoying every aspect of it so far. I have learned the complexity of working within the kitchen with many executive chefs. A lot of planning and preparation needs to occur prior to actually implementing a meal, so I discovered the importance of interdepartmental communication.
When I first began my rotation, I had no idea what to expect, but throughout the weeks I have grown as a person, increasing my management skills and gaining confidence in this field. I have learned how to implement employee scheduling, product ordering, cash handling, inventory, and facilitating staff meetings. Each day is a learning experience which helps me grow and continue to expand my knowledge.
One of my favorite projects was creating a healthy snack section in three of my account’s cafés. Prior to beginning my rotation, snack options consisted mostly of candies, ranging from chocolates to licorice, and various salty foods such as chips and flavored crackers. My task was to order new product that would meet Sodexo’s Mindful food guidelines. After providing a potential list of mindful snacks, my preceptor was a bit wary about the pricing of these new products since they were more expensive than the options that were currently offered. However, upon the first day of displaying these products on the shelves, they sold extremely fast. I found that the clients at CSX Headquarters prefer healthier food choices and are willing to pay more for these products.
When I first began my rotation, I had no idea what to expect, but throughout the weeks I have grown as a person, increasing my management skills and gaining confidence in this field. I have learned how to implement employee scheduling, product ordering, cash handling, inventory, and facilitating staff meetings. Each day is a learning experience which helps me grow and continue to expand my knowledge.
One of my favorite projects was creating a healthy snack section in three of my account’s cafés. Prior to beginning my rotation, snack options consisted mostly of candies, ranging from chocolates to licorice, and various salty foods such as chips and flavored crackers. My task was to order new product that would meet Sodexo’s Mindful food guidelines. After providing a potential list of mindful snacks, my preceptor was a bit wary about the pricing of these new products since they were more expensive than the options that were currently offered. However, upon the first day of displaying these products on the shelves, they sold extremely fast. I found that the clients at CSX Headquarters prefer healthier food choices and are willing to pay more for these products.
Additionally, I hosted an event for Hispanic Heritage Month for my retail and marketing project. In my needs assessment, I discovered that not many clients eat a variety of fruits and vegetables. I decided to create an action station in the café, implementing the idea of creating your own burrito. This pairs well with Hispanic Heritage Month and gives the clients an opportunity to add a variety of colors of vegetables into their meal. As the clients arrived at the café, I was able to educate and distribute flyers emphasizing the importance of eating the rainbow and the phytonutrients that are involved in improving our health. Everyone seemed to enjoy this and were able to add a variety of colors to their plate after learning about the health benefits associated with each colored food. Overall, this event assisted in increasing the number of customers during lunch and generated $300 more in sales. This project allowed me to use my creativity to design and implement this event with the help and collaboration of the executive chefs and staff here at this facility.
Each experience that we encounter will serve as an opportunity to learn, grow, and gain independence. It is important to approach each rotation with an open mind and be willing to accept each opportunity that is offered. Every experience is unique and helps guide us in discovering our passion within dietetics.
Each experience that we encounter will serve as an opportunity to learn, grow, and gain independence. It is important to approach each rotation with an open mind and be willing to accept each opportunity that is offered. Every experience is unique and helps guide us in discovering our passion within dietetics.
