BYU Dining Services is continuing to adapt to the campus’s “new normal” during Spring and Summer terms with new hours and procedures.
Assistant Director of BYU Dining Services Joe Tiapson said that business is very slow right now. “The Cougareat, for example, is able to serve 7,000-8,000 guests a day, but right now we are at about 300-400 guests per day,” he said.
Tiapson said that while these circumstances and changes in business are different than what BYU Dining is used to, the employees and management of BYU Dining are grateful that they are still able to have a few operations open in order to serve the campus community.
For Spring and Summer terms, The Commons at the Cannon has been temporarily relocated to Legends Grille to allow greater controls on cleaning and sanitization.
Chick-fil-A, Cougar Express, Papa John’s and Aloha Plate are open at the Cougareat. Tiapson says the areas in the Cougareat might be rotated throughout the spring and summer to provide some menu variety.
According to Tiapson, there are still several Creamery operations open, including the Grille at the Creamery on Ninth.
“We made selections based on menu variety, restaurant popularity and operational complexity,” Tiapson said. “With a limited number of employees, we needed to be sure that we could keep the operations running safely and efficiently.”
Tiapson said seating in dining areas will open up at some point, but as of now, he’s not sure when. When they do open the seating areas, there will be strict guidelines in place in order to allow proper social distancing. “The safety of our guests and employees is our highest priority,” he said.
With the world changing, BYU Dining is likely to have more challenges in the future, but Tiapson said BYU Dining will do its best to provide the safest and most optimal services possible to the campus community.
“BYU Dining is very grateful to be a part of a university where we are given direction through divine inspiration, by leaders who care deeply for each and every one of us,” he said.
