By: Steele Smith; Senior Writer

Wofford has signed a contract with food service provider AVI Food Systems effective July 1, 2017. AVI’s client list includes other universities such as Kenyon College, Indiana Tech and Sarah Lawrence College. AVI also has franchise partnerships with Chick-fil-a, Starbucks and Subway.

The AVI at Wofford website states, “We engage and interact with our customers to create an experience. AVI team members are hospitality-minded, focusing on creating a warm environment where smiles and food are the focus.”

However, in the opinion of junior, Dylan Hadden, the campus dining experience still has a lot of room for improvement.

He commented, saying, “I think the food has improved, but the service itself leaves a lot to be desired. If you walk into Burwell right now—at 5:30 or 6:00—you’re going to be waiting in line for 5 to 15 minutes to get your food.”

Hadden states that with AVI, Burwell staff now plates the food for students, a process which he believes results in additional time spent standing in line while limiting the amount of food each student is able to take at one time.

“They put such small portions on your plate, which I understand. They have to dole it out to make sure everybody gets enough food,” he says.

When asked for his opinion on AVI’s performance, Tehaam Waraich ’18 cited a perceived lack of continuous food options. “I feel like we need more options during the day,” says Waraich. He continues, explaining, “I understand we aren’t a very big college, and we don’t have the money to support 24-hour services. However, I think that it’s essential for students to have sources of meals between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 9:30 p.m.”

“Zach’s is closed. Phase V takes too long, and Burwell is slow because they’re putting food on your plate for you in such small portions,” concludes Hadden, explaining the current struggle he perceives students face while dining on campus.

According to their mission statement, AVI aims to provide skilled chefs who prepare nutritious meals from scratch with the freshest ingredients. Additionally, AVI has a comprehensive sustainability plan that involves recycling as many of the materials involved in the farm-to-plate process as possible in order to reduce Wofford’s environmental impact.

Wofford’s statement released to students via email in May states that “AVI’s plans feature both significant financial and physical campus contributions to Wofford and focus on fresh preparation, from-scratch selections and sustainable, local sourcing and serving practices.”