The Stanford Business Reporter

Issue date: 11/12/01 Section: Features

It’s minutes before my first eight o’clock of the quarter. Well-trained after a year of bleary-eyed mornings, I programmatically hustle towards Arbuckle Cafeteria to get an extra tall of house blend. But suddenly something rare and precious catches my eye and breaks me out of my rhythm—are those Krispy Kreme donuts at the breakfast bar? The reflection from the sugary glaze is undeniable, and I rush off towards class with my coffee and 210 calories worth of delicious death. Later the same day, as I unconsciously chomp into a Pollo de Pesto (that’s letter E on the menu), I am greeted by a similar surprise--this “gourmet” sandwich is actually hot.

Although some will scoff, more than a few second years have noticed the subtle but welcome improvements in Arbuckle’s offerings from those of last year. George Lee, the manager of Arbuckle Cafeteria for Bon Appetite

(the campus food service company), was more than happy to share his latest innovations.

At the top of the list is the introduction of Krispy Kremes to the breakfast menu. According to Lee, Krispy Kreme’s corporate office took notice of the excitement the recent store opening in Mountain View generated among Stanford students. As the company was new to the area, it structured a deal for Bon Appetite to provide the donuts at select locations on campus, including Tressider, the CoHo, and Arbuckle. The results were quickly seen at the GSB, as Bon Appetite provided Krispy Kremes at recent Admit events.

Changes to Arbuckle’s lunch menu include the addition of a grilled sandwich press and various Sicilian Pizzas. A new sushi bar, thus far available on limited days, has also been added next to the teriyaki bowls.

There has also been an overall change in Arbuckle’s menu structure, in particular the change from daily food themes to weekly food themes. Traditionally, Arbuckle has varied its menu selection on a day-to-day basis, for example baked potatoes on Mondays, chicken on Wednesdays, and lasagna on Fridays. Lee discovered that people seem to prefer food with a similar theme all week, rather than consistency on specific days. For example, one of the recent themes was October Fest, where each day of the week a different Germanic dish, such as oakwood-smoked sausage, was offered.

Lee notes that GSBers are a highly discerning group and have healthier diets than most people. On a relative basis, we tend to buy more fruit salad, nonfat lattes, and sushi. Lee also needs to ensure that vegetarian options are always available. Faculty and staff, who eat at Arbuckle 12 months out of the year as opposed to 9, are also an important group to appease.

Continued...

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