Listen Here
By Victoria Hansen
hansenv@finlday.edu
A broken bearing has thrown Henderson Dining Hall for a loop the same week that it introduced a new station to the dining hall.
The dishwasher in Henderson, the only dining hall at the University of Findlay, broke on Sept. 13, forcing the dining hall to switch to disposable items like plastic silverware, cups, and styrofoam plates.
“It was an emergency thing, so we couldn’t even order it,” Harr said. “We had to go to the store and purchase it. So we have whatever they had around here in the quantity we need.”
While Henderson has been able to switch to disposable dishes for food service, the dishes created in the kitchen, such as pots and pans, do not have a disposable counterpart and must be washed by hand.
“Everybody’s been very adaptive and understanding,” Harr said. “Something’s out of our control, and we’re making the best of the situation that we’re in.”
The dishwasher usually runs continuously throughout lunch and dinner hours. UF does not keep disposable dishes on hand, and Harr does not know how many cases of disposable service have been used.
“It’s not a small amount, that’s for sure,” Harr said.
Replacement bearings for the dishwasher have been ordered, but there is no timeline for delivery and installation.
“I hope it gets done soon,” Harr said.
At the same time as these technical difficulties, dining services also introduced a new station to Henderson Dining Hall: Serrano, a Mexican-style bar that serves tacos, burritos, and burrito bowls.
“It’s pretty popular right now,” Harr said. It’s just like Chipotle or other Mexican-style places; they’re still popular with everyone.”
The station replaces Grown, which was a station dedicated to vegan and vegetarian foods.
“We still have vegetarian options at other locations, and this station is much more appealing to everyone,” Harr said. “There’s not really anything that was taken away.”
Serrano is one of two new stations added to Henderson this semester, along with Simply Safe, a self-service station with gluten-free breads and baked goods.
