You asked for it and the food service staff has answered.
Asbury’s dining services has incorporated new additions and enhancements that meet the needs of all Asbury students while following COVID-19 precautions and guidelines.
Among the changes, staff and faculty are now welcome back to the dining hall and Bistro. Expanded options in the dining hall offer students who need a breakfast fix during any meal of the day can now help themselves to self-serve cereal.
Increased-quality whole fruit is located at the salad bar and offered at every meal.
The back line also features new, trendy bars aimed to satisfy the health-conscious of Asbury. Choices include the Cali chicken bowl and a vegetarian stir-fry bowl. There are also additional vegan and vegetarian options.
A new specialty station is now available as well. This multi-function “Deli station” will include a weekly entree salad, a weekly sandwich or wrap, and an occasional chef’s action station that combines student favorites and new meal ideas.
Above the dining hall, last semester’s STUCE and Bistro kiosks are now located inside ZT’s Bistro. To provide a sense of normalcy during the time of the pandemic, dining services has allowed socially distanced seating and dining-in.
“We do need students to help us keep the Bistro ‘kiosks’ open by following COVID guidelines. … We get it, part of campus life is the socialization, but we don’t want to have the Health Department show up and shut us down or worse, have it be the cause of additional cases,” explained the Asbury University Food Service Director Tina Miller.
When students dine in at ZT’s Bistro, they will receive their meals on “permanent ware” designed to reduce disposable usage of products and minimize waste.
Increased variety of dressing packets and special sauces are also additions made for students and faculty. The dining staff has added improvements to the kiosk beverages as well.
Students and faculty can now choose from various drink selections such as iced tea, coffee, aqua fresca (of the day) and a Pepsi fountain with flavor shots.
The Bistro kiosk, starting this spring semester, will have entrée salad options and expanded vegan/vegetarian/dairy free/gluten free options at dinner. For those with various food allergies, dining services offers grilled chicken by request. At any meal of the day, a student can request grilled chicken, which is copacetic with many food allergies.
Asbury University Dining Services aims to make eating at Asbury an enjoyable and refreshing experience, while still adhering to the “Stay Healthy, Stay Here” protocol.
“We are always striving to improve and give students, faculty & staff the best experience possible,” said Miller.
Miller has completed numerous allergy trainings and has acquired experience from 11 years of healthcare food service. If there is an allergy, Miller seeks to help the student navigate around and enjoy what the dining hall has to offer while still being mindful of the allergy.
As always, if you have special dietary needs or simply need help navigating the program, contact Tina M. Miller at diningservices@asbury.edu
