Assistant Director of Commons Dining Mark Andrews has been a chef in the food industry his entire career. He worked as the executive chef for Georgetown University, overseeing both the front and back of the kitchen, until he decided "it was time for a change."
He originally started working at Salisbury University as the manager at the Commons Dining Hall. The Assistant Director resigned during COVID, which left Andrews to fill the role until he was given the position permanently.
He has worked at commons for almost eight years, ensuring that students have meals to eat every day.
Andrews wears many hats. Students can find him doing a variety of tasks from organizing meals to planning commons next event. He doesn’t do it alone though.
Andrews said everyone in commons works together as a team, especially when it comes to menu planning. Commons operates on a three-week meal cycle.
Cooks help to track food production to see how popular certain meals are. They also use this data to determine the number of servings per dish to try to create as little waste as possible.
Andrews said students also play a main role in determining meals. Commons provides a place where students can give their feedback on any commons related services.
“Direct student feedback is a big part of it,” Andrews said. “So, when people put in text and tells, we take that to heart.
“We try to take that direct feedback and have it reflected in the menu.”
Andrews said one of his main priorities is making sure there is something for every student to eat, despite any dietary restrictions. He said commons has been working very hard to "bring the food program closer to the students’ needs." He explained last year the staff started doing a service called Sea Gull Safe.
“It’s a food ordering application that’s given out to students with dietary needs or food concerns, people with allergies, it could be any medically diagnosed issue,” Andrews said.
Commons has a professional dietitian who trains the staff on how to handle and cook food in accordance with students' dietary needs. Students can order ahead and pick up their meal that is specific to them.
“We want to make sure that everyone, no matter their food indifferences or intolerances, are going to be able to find something to eat here.”
Andrews said one of the things he values most within commons is the connections he has created with staff and students. He said something that is very important to him is making sure students feel comfortable enough to share their concerns with the commons staff. This helps to give the commons staff a chance to fix their mistakes.
“It's so easy to just post a picture on snap or social media and not give us an opportunity to fix it,” Andrews said. “I think if anybody would go out to a restaurant and order a steak medium and it comes out well done, you have the opportunity to tell your server ‘can you give me another steak, or can you fix it?’
“When we get that opportunity to fix an issue, it allows us to be helpful and to do better.”
Andrews also makes sure that every staff member is included no matter what. Andrews has even learned ASL and Spanish to be able to communicate with his employees and share information with them to get their opinion.
Andrews said he is thankful for the help of all his employees.
“Without my team we wouldn’t be able to do the great things that we do,” Andrews said.
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By TESSAH GOOD
Managing Editor