The Bistro reopened for the Fall 2022 semester at 11:00 am on Aug. 29, after experiencing a delay that prevented its opening from coinciding with the start of the school year.
Vice President of Student Life Sarah Baldwin cited a software upgrade as the cause of the issues. IT Services collaborated with Pioneer Catering Services to install a new system called Transact, which allows items to be scanned rather than just keyed in, Baldwin told the Collegian.
“We had hoped it would be completed before school began, but I’m glad we were able to get it done,” Baldwin said. “We give our apologies for the delayed opening.”
The Transact system will also cut down on paper used at the register, keep lines moving at an efficient pace, and provide data on which items are more popular.
Baldwin said the delay was a mixture of “supply chain backorders and scheduling issues.” The timeline of software updates was gradual throughout the summer, as opposed to being installed all at once, which left the Bistro staff short for time when training students on how to operate the new software.
“Workers need time to be trained,” Baldwin said. “It was just an issue of scheduling and getting everyone trained.”
The software was finally up-and-running on Aug. 29, at which point the Bistro reopened. However, Baldwin said that a glitch delayed the Bistro’s progress by a further 15 minutes. Once this glitch was remedied and the line was moving again, the line of students cheered.
The Cafeteria was given slightly extended hours during the first week of school to account for the Bistro’s delay.
