Hi Blog Readers!

In today’s post, we will be looking into the cafeteria here at St. Jerome’s which is run by Dana Hospitality. Dana hospitality is “proudly Canadian with a culture rooted in culinary excellence. [Dana has] more than one thousand employees in over one hundred locations, working together to create exceptional culinary experiences – one meal at a time" (https://www.danahospitality.ca/our-story/)

What is at the heart of Dana and specifically within the St. Jerome’s Cafeteria is  locally sourced and fresh ingredients. They “source from local Canadian producers, greenhouse growers and dedicated farmers who meet our high standards. Those ingredients, combined with menus customized daily, ensure the best possible taste experience [their] blend of local sourcing, culinary craftsmanship and inherently healthy menu choices allow […] guests to feel absolutely confident in their meal selection. [Dana’s] chefs just can’t help but create food that inspires […] guests with food that is worth staying for” (https://www.danahospitality.ca/our-food/)

This locally sourced and fresh food focus Dana has can be seen directly here at St. Jerome’s through the consistent items seen in the cafeteria, such as  how the milk in the cafeteria comes from Guelph, and how the cafeteria has a map located in the servery displaying where their food suppliers are located locally. Just looking at one meal they served you can see the local impact in that the chicken pot pie has chicken that comes from Pixtar in Georgetown Ontario (https://pixtar.ca/) and the potatoes in the sweet potato succotash come from Rutledge Farms in Shelbourne Ontario (https://www.rutledgepotatofarms.com/)

Alongside focusing on fresh and local produce Dana works with students in order to understand their dietary needs and restrictions such as various allergies. The cafeteria menu is specifically laid out in a fashion where based on a system of symbols students can look at the meals menu and see what the vegan, vegetarian, Dairy-free, gluten-free, egg-free and more options are for that meal. Take for example the following picture of just one menu that the St. Jerome’s cafeteria has provided.

This menu showcases how for just this one meal they have vegan options (buffalo chickpea), a range of gluten free options, a dairy free and egg free options (sausage and peppers) and more.

 

 

Dana and the cafeteria not only serves the student of St. Jerome’s amazing food but also has become integrally tied in with the St. Jerome’s community through how they have created relationships with the students who eat in the cafeteria so the cafeteria is “not simply a place to come eat but an extension of the students overall residence experience”.

This can be most clearly exhibited in the Farmers basket program that can be learned about further in the following video: https://www.instagram.com/p/B74Bl74AoVc/

 

This connection and outreach becomes even more apparent through Dana’s social media work. Dana allows for students to send them messages requesting and suggesting meal options, as well they post the menus daily on their social media pages so students can know the meal before going to the cafeteria. Alongside these, they also present life in the kitchen by posting pictures of food being made, the kitchen staff in actions and interviews with various people on campus. 

For example, the following video on their Instagram account showcases two Dana staff members being interviewed and specifically mentioning student comments in the cafeteria and them explaining how they will do their best to implement the suggestions: https://www.instagram.com/p/B4fyAl3gLzC/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

 

You can follow Dana at St. Jerome’s at the following locations

Facebook: SJU Eats

Instagram: sjueats

Twitter: @SJU_Eats

 

Now that Dana has been discussed as a whole we will now dive into some interviews with two of the staff members of Dana at St. Jeromes! Linna and Beverley: 

 

Name of Employee

Linna Nguyen

 

How long have you worked at SJU?

3 1/2 years

What is your favourite part of being apart of the St. Jerome's community?

My favorite part is working with all the students and to see them smile every day

Tell us something about you! A fun fact

Did you know that I am one out of 2 left-handed people that work in the kitchen? guess who the other person is!

What would you want a prospective student to know about Dana and St. Jerome's food services?

Yes, We do the Fresh and local foods! but we also care about our students! we love building relationships with you guys.

How do you see Dana fitting in with the larger St. Jerome's community? With the University of Waterloo Community?

We fit in in ways like we care about the environment, off-campus students and many more. making sure we do Farmers Markets with fresh food.

 

 

Name of Employee

Beverley Folland

 

How long have you worked at SJU?

4 months

What is your favourite part of being apart of the St. Jerome's community?

Being part of the Dana family AND the St. Jerome's families - feeling welcomed by the student body as well as the faculty/staff group.

Tell us something about you! A fun fact

I collect miniature carousels

What would you want a prospective student to know about Dana and St. Jerome's food services?

We are always happy to take time to listen to your thoughts/suggestions/critiques/wishes and we do everything possible to be responsive to your feedback

How do you see Dana fitting in with the larger St. Jerome's community? With the University of Waterloo Community?

Within St. Jerome's, I feel we are pretty much "the heart" - just like a family centres around the kitchen and food, St. Jerome's comes together around meals prepared and served by Dana employees, gathering for social time in the Funcken Cafe, and other organized events with catering by Dana. With the greater U Waterloo community, our doors are always open for students, faculty & staff from "across the creek" to come participate in SJU events and meals, and to purchase Dana meal plans to enjoy our fresh, local, from scratch offerings.

 

 

If you have any suggestions for content that you would love to read about on our blog, please send an email to outreach@sju.ca! We would love to know what our students are interested in reading and knowing more about. 

 

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS 

TWITTER: @StJeromesUni 

INSTAGRAM: @StJeromesUni

FACEBOOK: StJeromesUniversity