Food management of professionals tour Demske Culinary Support Center

Miami University hosted 30 representatives from college campuses across the nation who toured Demske Culinary Support Center this week as part of the Facilities Management Institute sponsored by the National Association of College and University Food Service (NACUFS).

The association holds the institute every two years with Miami also hosting in 2008. The institute participants focus on the management of collegiate foodservice facilities, equipment, and technology.

“It is again an honor for Miami to be the selected site, “Nancy Heidtman, director of dining and culinary support said. “Our facility remains on the cutting edge in the areas of centralized production, processing and warehousing.”

Miami’s Demske Center has been in operation since 2001. One of the highlights of this tour is the new “U-scan” technology now in operation at Dividends, located in the Farmer School of Business. Similar to the technology used at Kroger’s self-checkout, when students place their food orders, a bar code is created and students then scan their own orders. The benefit to this new technology is time, with more students able to access the food area between classes.

Dean Wright, food service director at Brigham Young University, led this year’s institute. Wright is a longtime partner of Miami’s food service. He and his dining team, using Miami’s model, were able to secure funding and build a facility on their campus that mirrors the Demske Culinary Support Center. Brigham Young opened its centralized facilities in spring 2009.