Aramark to take over the Greenhouse - USM Forum -- Message Board

Date: Feb 20, 2005

Aramark to take over the Greenhouse

Date: Feb 20, 2005

read that over on eagletalk. they say that 1.2million is the cost of the renovation that would have come from the usm bond issue. just like when lassen found the exact money needed by sweeping accounts

Date: Feb 20, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Vendor Verification
"read that over on eagletalk. they say that 1.2million is the cost of the renovation that would have come from the usm bond issue. just like when lassen found the exact money needed by sweeping accounts"

Careful VV, I heard that the smooth talking CFO got a little hot under the collar the last time that someone said "sweeping accounts". So hot that he actually burned himself with many staff members in fact.

Date: Feb 20, 2005

I can't believe that Aramark is going to get this contract. Once they get in, you have no control over the quality or pricing of food. USM's concessions are about to go to pot so that Uncle Shelby can change one more thing about the university. Remember, he said he was going to leave "no stone unturned." I guess that's what he meant -- he'll change it all just for change's sake. By the way, my moniker is my opinion of Aramark food.

Date: Feb 20, 2005

out of curosity--who had the contract before?

Date: Feb 20, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: stinky cheese man
"out of curosity--who had the contract before?"

The contract?

Date: Feb 20, 2005

Not that kind of contract! I told you never to discuss the family business on an internet message board!

Date: Feb 20, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: stinky cheese man
"out of curosity--who had the contract before?"

Coca-Cola had all of the athletic vending contracts.

Date: Feb 20, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: asdf
"Coca-Cola had all of the athletic vending contracts."

That also means that one of SFT's biggest community supporters (Brad Martin/locall cc manager) got the Shelby treatment(inmates have a word/desire for this as well). Suppose next Aramark will take the football and baseball concession as well!!

If Aramark does take athletic concessions, it will be the latest example of the loyalty of Shelby & Co

Date: Feb 20, 2005

from what i've heard aramark will get the contract and provide the food. local groups like church groups, school groups, or civic organizations will work the stands in exchange for a cut of the money. i don't think this affects the coca-cola contract.

Date: Feb 20, 2005

Don't call it the Greenhouse. Cox and the other idiot announcer called it "the Coliseum" numerous times during the Memphis game. I guess it's just another way to expunge remnants of the past, I guess it made people think of James Green.

Date: Feb 21, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Golf Ball/Garden Hose Euphemism
"from what i've heard aramark will get the contract and provide the food. local groups like church groups, school groups, or civic organizations will work the stands in exchange for a cut of the money. i don't think this affects the coca-cola contract."

the contract was actaully coca cola food services and all the people working the concession stands were coca cola food service employees, so yes it will affect the coca cola contract. the sale of coca cola products may not be affected, but the hot dogs, peanuts, etc and profits from retail sales of coke products will be affected

Date: Feb 21, 2005

point,

I really don't think anyone cares whether we get hot dogs, peanuts, and the like from Coca-Cola or from Joe's Snack Co. What people care about is whether Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Sprite, etc. will be served (as opposed to Pepsi). All I'm saying is that Aramark (or, rather, community groups) will probably still serve Coke at the stands. Again, I really don't think most people have a real loyalty to one brand of hot dog or peanuts or popcorn, as long as its good.

I will say that I really don't enjoy the Aramark food at the MS Coast Coliseum that is served at SeaWolves games--it's often cold and flavorless. I would never make this move personally. If we can't find another way to pay for the expansion, then we don't need to undertake the expansion.

Date: Feb 21, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Distasteful!!!
"I can't believe that Aramark is going to get this contract. Once they get in, you have no control over the quality or pricing of food. "

I'm no Aramark fan, supporter, or advocate, but what control over the quality or pricing do we have now, pre-Aramark? I'm serious. Unless I'm even more senile than has been suggested, I don't recall ever having been afforded the opportunity to exert influence or even voice an opinion concerning concession food and prices, at USM or any other university with which I've been associated. Where does this occur? What have I missed?

Date: Feb 21, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Distasteful!!!
"I can't believe that Aramark is going to get this contract. "

What's the beef? I highly recommend Aramark foods to all my clients. They're filled with many USM developed chemical additives so as to insure a long shelf life, are made with otherwise unusable animal byproducts, and represent an excellent value for your food dollar. And, they're one hunnert per cent biodegradable. Bon apetite.

Date: Feb 21, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Gaseous Gourmet
"I'm no Aramark fan, supporter, or advocate, but what control over the quality or pricing do we have now, pre-Aramark? I'm serious. Unless I'm even more senile than has been suggested, I don't recall ever having been afforded the opportunity to exert influence or even voice an opinion concerning concession food and prices, at USM or any other university with which I've been associated. Where does this occur? What have I missed?"

Suppose that USM fans prefer, say, Lykes Hot Dogs. USM's sporting events now have the power to carry that brand if USM chooses to do so. Aramark will use their own supplier, chosen on a cost basis and not on what the people want.

Date: Feb 21, 2005

You all know that Aramark will renovate the old power house (north of the Library) into a restaurant, and that (so we're told) it will all be done with Aramark money?

I'm not sure what all of this means. It may only mean that Aramark is one of those corporations that gobbles up everything it can get and figures out the bottom line on a big scale. On the other hand, it may mean that private deals (or privately profitable) deals have been struck.

I'm nowhere near any kind of source on this--just thinking aloud. But if anyone out there knows the full extent of our involvment with Ararmark, it would be interesting to learn.

NO QUARTER.
Anne Wallace

Date: Feb 21, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: little morphine annie
" Suppose that USM fans prefer, say, Lykes Hot Dogs. USM's sporting events now have the power to carry that brand if USM chooses to do so. Aramark will use their own supplier, chosen on a cost basis and not on what the people want."

I don't eat that stuff anyway and moreover, am completely oblivious to how food and brand selections have worked at USM in times past. While I understand the distinction you're making, I'm asking whether this have ever actually happened at USM. That is, have brands or even types of concession food offerings at USM ever been subjected to a vote, and then changed because of "what the people want?" I don't recall it happening here or at any other college I've attended or served as a member of the faculty. I do recall that for a number of years, even in the face of incessant complaining and withering criticism of the food served in the USM dining hall nothing ever changed, even when USM had the power to make changes. I have seen subcontracted food concessionaires withdraw when their business proved unprofitable. Maybe that's the answer. If Aramark offers crappy food at outrageous prices, don't buy it. They'll either make adjustments to satisfy their market, or they won't survive.

Date: Feb 21, 2005

i don't know much about current plans, but the plan to turn the old power house into a restaurant has been around for i'd guess 10 years. never had the $ to renovate. i'm not surprised if aramark doesn't want to handle the food business on campus. the chronicle had an article a week or so about about outsourcing on college campus. aramark runs food service at Yale, Barnes & Noble runs the bookstore at Harvard.

Date: Feb 21, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Gaseous Gourmet
"I'm asking whether this have ever actually happened at USM. "

What I meant to say was..."...whether this has ever actually happened at USM."

Sorry, sudden attact of pre-senile dementia.

Date: Feb 21, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: stinky cheese man
"aramark runs food service at Yale, Barnes & Noble runs the bookstore at Harvard. "

Yo! Then USM has yet another thing in common with the Ivy's Harvard & Yale: All three schools share the same food service

vendor, bookstore

vendor, and all three are listed in the US News ratings!

Date: Feb 21, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Three's Good Company
"Yo! Then USM has yet another thing in common with the Ivy's Harvard & Yale: All three schools share the same food service vendor, bookstore vendor, and all three are listed in the US News ratings!"

This news deserves a special press release.

Date: Feb 21, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Reporter in Residence
"This news deserves a special press release."

Hell yeah, and an all new Golden Revelry Tee Shirt...

Harvard, Yale, and USM---the Holy Trinity of Academe!

Date: Feb 21, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: little morphine annie
" Suppose that USM fans prefer, say, Lykes Hot Dogs. USM's sporting events now have the power to carry that brand if USM chooses to do so. Aramark will use their own supplier, chosen on a cost basis and not on what the people want."

Oh My God, it's all over if we've now reached a state where we can't even choose our favorite brand of weiner. I'll always remember fondly those golden times when Aubrey Lucas was president and reps from the FS were consulted each semester on the faculty hot dog of choice. Ah yes, those were the days.

Date: Feb 21, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: The Sky Is Falling
"Oh My God, it's all over if we've now reached a state where we can't even choose our favorite brand of weiner. I'll always remember fondly those golden times when Aubrey Lucas was president and reps from the FS were consulted each semester on the faculty hot dog of choice. Ah yes, those were the days. "

I can see where this is going. Joan Exline will take a poll at the next meeting of the PUC, have Joy Hamilton run the results, Shelby will force Aramark to use the hot dog of choice and report it to the IHL as "shared governance." Greg Lassen will try to figure out a way to pay for his hot dog with monopoly money. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Date: Feb 21, 2005

kick

Date: Feb 21, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: kick
"kick"

Thanks "kick" PUC Predictor's commentary was too priceless to be overlooked, not to mention prescient.

Date: Feb 21, 2005

So, is there any word on the actual Coke contract? Coke products are one of those things that aren't negotiable in my book. Pepsi=puke!

Date: Feb 22, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: PUC Predictor
" I can see where this is going. Joan Exline will take a poll at the next meeting of the PUC, have Joy Hamilton run the results, Shelby will force Aramark to use the hot dog of choice and report it to the IHL as "shared governance." Greg Lassen will try to figure out a way to pay for his hot dog with monopoly money. The more things change, the more they stay the same."

There's an easy solution to this problem. Aramark holds the food services contract at one of our wurl' class sister institutions, Yale. I hereby propose that the USM-Aramark contract contain a provision stipulating that all Aramark food concessions at USM offer hot dogs identical to those provided to students, faculty, and staffers at Yale. If they're good enough for those blue-blooded Elis, then they should certainly be good enough for the USM bubbas and bubbettes. Whadda ya think?

Date: Feb 22, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Oscar Meyer
"There's an easy solution to this problem. Aramark holds the food services contract at one of our wurl' class sister institutions, Yale. I hereby propose that the USM-Aramark contract contain a provision stipulating that all Aramark food concessions at USM offer hot dogs identical to those provided to students, faculty, and staffers at Yale. If they're good enough for those blue-blooded Elis, then they should certainly be good enough for the USM bubbas and bubbettes. Whadda ya think?"

Dr. Thames is already pursuing a variation of this proposal. He's insisting that Aramark serve Yalies the same weiners that are sold at USM, and that they be exclusively USM developed polymeric franks, as were introduced at the Golden Revelry event last year. Remember them, with the little USM logo on each frank casing? Thames seems to be making good headway with the idea, thanks to the shrewd negotiating skills of the crack legal team of Hanbury and Dvorak. Look for a big news release from Mader, if he pulls it off.