After losing more than $2.3 million since opening in January 2007, Baker University Center has begun to close the gap between profit and deficit.
Baker Dining Services - which includes West 82 Food Court, Latitude 39, Bobcat Essentials and The Front Room - lost $192,301 last fiscal year. The deficit is currently $15,535 more than originally predicted.
It is not as positive as we were hoping
said Gwyn Scott, executive director of Culinary and Dining Operations. Although I think the most important point is huge improvement over where we were last year with the deficit.
As Dining Services continues to reduce expenses this year, it will place more focus on increasing revenue through marketing, promotions and positive customer service. Dining Services needs to ramp up its marketing and promotions efforts, Scott said, adding that Ohio University is currently looking for someone to fill a new marketing position.
Besides increased marketing, students will begin to notice menu changes at Baker dining venues.
Dining Services is incorporating healthier items such as grains, pastas and an expanded salad bar in West 82 Food Court. The department hopes to develop signature sandwiches as well, said Mohamed Ali, director of retail.
What we are going to do is try to change every quarter - a little bit here a little bit there
he said.
Dining Services also hopes to attract more students to Latitude 39 by offering entertainment and lighter food options, Ali said, adding that the department will invite randomly selected students to taste food and provide feedback about dining services every quarter.
This year's goal is to see a profit, he said.
Dining Services cut hours last year to reduce labor expenses and other costs.
The goal
however
is to grow those hours back
Scott said, adding that the new meal plan options will increase traffic through Baker Center. He hopes this will increase revenue and create more demand.
Dining Services hopes to increase student traffic by offering new meal plans, including variations of the Flex meal plan that give students $100 to spend at Baker dining venues and 14 to 20 meals a week (or 30 meals a quarter for off-campus students).
Currently, 62 percent of students with a meal plan are using the Flex meal plan, according to the university Web site. It is unknown how many students living off-campus purchased the plan.
Destination Dining, another plan created this year, offers 300 points to students with more than 90 credit hours. Similar to the Flex meal plan, the Destination Dining plan allows students to use points at Baker Dining Services, which could increase traffic.
At the end of August, 52 students had chosen the Destination Dining meal plan, Scott said.
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Caitlin Bowling
