Tanner Truax
Special to The Leader
If there is anything this semester can be defined by, it is the new system at Willy C’s and its habit to create long, stagnant lines of hungry students.
These issues have not gone unnoticed by management as they too search for an end to this long line.
A separate order line for subs and smoothies was one of several considered solutions.
These two items are very popular amongst customers at Willy C’s, therefore giving them their own line would allow people with less involved orders to order and receive their food in a more timely manner.
Though this option sounds like a very viable solution for students who are tired of long waits for their food, it came with enough negatives to outweigh the positives.
“As of now, the addition of a new sub line is on hold,” said Darin Schulz, director of FSA.
According to Schulz, the new order lines would force the smoothie- making station to move back into the kitchen area, isolating it from the rest of the stations.
This isolation would cause any gained efficiency from the new lines to be lost, therefore making the multi-line system just as inefficient as the current one.
With the striking of the separate lines comes another solution: extended hours next door at The Blue Devil Grill.
“At the beginning of the semester with the increased demand, [management was] brainstorming several ideas, and the best solution was adding hours and days of operation to the Blue Devil Grill,” said Schulz. Adding hours and options add more expense, but [management feels] it was important to help meet the increase demand at late night.”
With the new hours for Blue Devil Grill in effect, the question remains: did it help? According to Jacob Schnackenberg, a student worker who has worked at both the sub station and The Blue Devil Grill’s extended hours, says sort of.
“I do believe that keeping [Blue Devil Grill] open later does help reduce the line, especially during the weeks we are serving Mexican, but I don’t believe that it is the whole solution,” said Schnackenberg. “I do think that sub [station] should have its own line because it has the longest wait time from order to the customer getting their food.”
Schnackenberg also argues that subs have the most options to choose from when ordering, down to condiments, veggies and bread type to name a few. This time used picking sub options definitely doesn’t help the line move faster.
“If sub [station] has its own line, I think the wait to place [an] order when it is busy would be shorter because the people who just want a slice of pizza or chicken wing[s]… can order and get their food quicker,’’ said Schnackenberg.
Nothing is hardly ever perfect the first go at it, and FSA’s new system at Willy C’s is a prime example of that. FSA is aware of the issue and will continue to buff out any issues that may come. Time heals all wounds, including the one festering in the basement of the Williams Centre … hopefully.