As Elon University’s dining program winds down its first year under Aramark’s first new manager in 22 years, the staff continues to look to diversify options, such as planned additions of Starbucks and Einstein Bagels slated to open next fall.
A focus on theme dinners and special events had differentiated Aramark’s resident district manager Pulkitt Vigg — who started at Elon in July 2014 — time at Aramark from his predecessor’s.
“Our first and foremost goal is to try and find out what the student population wants,” said Vigg. who holds degrees in hotel management and hospitality management. “It starts with the students and ends with the students. It’s all about them.”
Sophomore Taylor DeFord feels as though Starbucks and Einstein Bro’s will be great additions to the campus. She also hopes that new chains continue appearing.
Although Vigg can’t say exactly what chains will be arriving within the next few years, he wants to assure students that they will be premium level.
“We want students to have a unique dining experience instead of the same generic brands they’re used to seeing,” Vigg said.
Keeping close ties with Elon’s focus on study abroad and international experiences, Vigg has begun to restructure Aramark’s focus to look outside of North Carolina for culinary inspiration.
“We’re connecting with the university’s mission of globalizing Elon,” Vigg said. “If you try something here, when you go abroad you aren’t afraid to try it there. It helps you be the generation of tomorrow by diversifying yourselves.”
“Bollywood Night,” which took place in Lakeside Dining Hall in early April, was a crowd-pleasing example, with 98 percent of students who responded to an Aramark survey saying they were “exceptionally pleased” with the event.
Indian food was coupled with traditional music and belly dancers to set the dinner apart — what Vigg likes to call a “monotony breaker” for students.
Before Vigg took over, students were critical of such monotony across campus dining.
“The person before me was here for 22 years and had done a great job with the program,” Vigg said. “The team was just looking for a new, different kind of leadership.”
DeFord hopes Vigg’s new perspective will bring even more changes to the dining program in her time at Elon.
“Within the past two years, there haven’t been any changes, and I’ve grown tired of the options,” DeFord said.
To Vigg, clarity matters— he says he can’t act on vague student complaints. He’s in search of specifics.
“We want to make it as personalized as possible,” Vigg said. “When people say, ‘We want more variety,’ it tells me nothing. If you tell me exactly what you want, I’ll do my best to make it happen.”
Putting it in perspective, students who have come to Elon from elsewhere have a more favorable outlook.
“Elon’s dining experience for me has been far beyond what my previous school had to offer me,” said freshman Ryan McGarvey, who transferred to Elon from the University of South Carolina. “The food is good and I can have as much as I want.”
Vigg’s job does come with challenges — he said he wants to take care of everyone, regardless of their needs.
“I want a person with a gluten allergy to be able to sit with his friend who’s a vegan and a friend who doesn’t fit either of those lifestyles,” Vigg said. “A goal of mine is to make sure all three of them can come together and eat at the same place.”
Although DeFord agrees that Elon has made strong attempts to diversify food options, she wishes Elon would come up with more healthy options because she’s tired of eating Freshii everyday.
Additions such as Green World last year are a start, but Vigg knows there is a long way to go.
Vigg plans on even more improvement within the next few years because he said he wants Elon’s dining to walk hand-in-hand with the rest of the school.
“I want our chefs — and everyone here, for that matter — to be proud of what we do,” Vigg said.
Vigg’s long-term goal is to make Elon’s dining program the best in the country.
“I want to be the No. 1 dining program in the United States,” Vigg said. “When people talk about Elon, I want them to first talk about the academics, and then for them to bring up that Elon’s dining is in the top 10 in the country.”