Updated LSU facility not traditional college dining

• By CHERAMIE SONNIER
• Assistant food editor
• Published: Jun 26, 2008 - UPDATED: 12:05 am

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When the old Laville Food Emporium at LSU was reopened in January as The 459 Commons, students had to forget about the standard school cafeteria experience. There would be no pushing a tray down the food service line. In fact, there are no trays; the students are served directly onto plates.

Two years ago, LSU Dining, which is a contracted service operated by Compass Group, took the almost 20,000-square-foot Laville Food Emporium off line and started an $8 million remodeling project.

“We took the building to its shell and put together a state-of-the-art dining facility on campus for our students,” David Heidke, director of LSU Dining, said.

Regarding the serving style, going tray-less is just one of the innovations at the remodeled dining facility, located off Highland Road behind the French House on the LSU campus.

Heidke said the no-tray change has had a major economical and environmental impact.

Now, the facility’s staff only washes dishes. “That cuts the water usage, the utilities used to heat the water, the amount of chemicals and detergents,” Heidke said. “That was a big step. We had been operating buildings 30 plus years old. All of the equipment is new.”

The combination of more efficient equipment and fewer items to wash has led to a major reduction in water usage, he said.

“The other positive impact for us when we went tray-less was the 30 percent reduction of food waste by students,” Heidke said. “With trays, they kind of graze and fill their tray. Their eyes are bigger than their stomachs. … There were some concerns when we opened, but the students adapted” to the new serving method.

Now, the only trays students see are on the “accumulator” where they return their dirty dishes.

The serving style may also be helping some students keep off the infamous weight gain know as the “freshman 15.”

In the old dining hall, students  served themselves larger portions, he said. With the introduction of the no-tray dining operation, the staff began serving students what Heidke calls “an appropriate size portion.” Students are allowed go back for seconds.

Heidke also explained that without the trays, students get fresher food prepared personally for them. “We’re doing more preparation and finishing (of dishes) at the point of service for students. We do omelets to order as part of breakfast service. At lunch we may have quesadillas made to order.”

And, students can even do some cooking themselves at a station equipped with four induction ranges that allow food to be cooked without the surface getting hot to the touch. “It’s almost a social experience,” Heidke said. “We are trying to get students to learn to cook as part of the university’s education mission.”