Five weeks into the school year, students say they are frustrated by long lines at J Street despite assurances from Dining Services officials that speed and efficiency would improve with time.
I think it’s ridiculous how long the lines can be, freshman Christina Hayes said. There’s nothing you can do; there should be more choices.
Hatchet reporters recorded the line waiting times at 11 of the 12 J Street food stations between noon and 1p.m. Monday. A 13-minute wait at Burger King Express and 15-minute waits at Pan Geos Pizza and Montague’s Deli were among the longest delays. Times were recorded from the point reporters entered a line to the time they received their food.
The time to prepare the foods is very, very slow, not like in a real Burger King, graduate student Feng Xu said.
Dining Services officials said they are aware of some of the long lines, but maintained that not all stations are reporting delays.
I haven’t heard any issues about Burger King or Chick-fil-A, said Victor Younger, senior director of Dining Services. I do see lines at Chick-fil-A, they changed vendors on us twice and we’ve had some delivery problems that are getting resolved.
Six minutes in line at Taco Bell, four minutes at the Foggy Bottom Salad Garden and three minutes at Pan Geos Asian marked the shortest waits noted during lunch.
Lines during dinner, between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m., were shorter on Monday. Twelve minutes at Pan Geos Pasta, 11 and one-half minutes at Pan Geos Asian and eight minutes at Pan Geos Pizza were the longest waits recorded. Three minutes at Cranberry Farms, four minutes at Pan Geos Wraps and two minutes at the Foggy Bottom Salad Garden were the shortest waits.
When asked if J Street officials have an expectation of waits at lunchtime, Younger said, It’s hard to say because there’s so many students submerging the certain lines at certain times.
Breakfast options offered the shortest waits, with four minutes recorded for Cranberry Farms and six minutes for the Starbucks line.
Dining Services responded to student requests to cut breakfast lines.
What we did is we now have Starbucks Express open from 7 to 10 a.m. over in the Pan Geos Pizza station, Younger said. It’s `grab and go,’ you can get your own coffee and doughnut and pay.
Younger said the station is a downsized version of Viva Java, a breakfast option discontinued this year.
Younger said GW is using earlier initiatives, such as feedback from the Dining Service Commission, to improve service at J Street and other dining areas on campus.
(The Dining Service Commission is) made up of students from every residence hall (and Dining Service officials), he said. That’s how the issues have been resolved since the beginning of the school year.
Dining Services is also gathering student feedback from a survey it conducted Wednesday, Younger said.
I’m quite sure the surveys are going to reflect the waits and long lines but we’re going to keep making changes like we have at expediting service, Younger said.
Younger said he welcomes student input.
If there’s something we’re doing wrong, please let us know, Younger said.
MINUTES IN LINE
Location Brkfst / Lunch / Dinner Chick-fil-A N/A 6:35 5:30Pan Geos Pasta N/A 7:00 12:00Cranberry Farms 4:00 N/A 3:00Pan Geos Asian N/A 3:00 11:31Burger King N/A 13:33 5:45Pan Geos Wrap N/A 10:00 4:00Foggy Bottom Salad Garden N/A 4:00 2:00Pan Geos Pizza N/A 15:00 8:00Taco Bell N/A 6:00 7:35Starbucks 6:00 13:00 N/AMontague’s Deli N/A 15:00 4:00
