Whether it’s having a friendly conversation with Food Director Christopher Behrens while waiting for a quesadilla, socializing with friends in line or enjoying the various different options for breakfast and lunch, the Grille has certainly been a hit this year, serving over 700 students every day.
This large number of students eating at the grille and the lack of staff has caused overcrowding and long lines that have frustrated some students. Behrens said that without that extra staff member or two working back there, there’s no way to open up some of the new additions he wants to.
“It’s been chaotic because we can’t get somebody to stay with us for more than five days,” he said. “Whenever we get somebody full-time, I want to open up a soup station and add more to the entrees because we’re not just cheeseburgers and hamburgers, but we can’t do that or get it less crowded here without [someone] to help.”
Upper School Dean of Students Kyle McGimsey said the very beginning of lunch is when the lines are the most chaotic.
“[The first 10 minutes is] the moment when all of your lines are getting the longest, and that’s been one of the big things we’ve been trying to address is how to speed those lines up,” McGimsey said.
Faculty and staff have recently created more space in the grille by adding two different lines for quesadillas and entrees. The grille staff has also added more pre-made items to help with the overcrowding. McGimsey said the purpose of these additions is so students can get in and out of lines faster, but student cooperation is the biggest way to help and mentioned three main things students can do.
“Staggering times when students come to the grille has been a big help,” McGimsey said. “Waiting ten or fifteen minutes and coming to lunch a little bit later will make those lines much shorter.”
According to McGimsey, students can also help by not bringing backpacks into the grille as it takes up space where more people can be standing. He also said not waiting in line if you’re are not getting food makes more room as well.
“Some of the things that we really encourage students to do is to pay with their ID,” McGimsey said. “The checkout creates a backup and a lot of the checkout isn’t always crazy. There’s not a lot of space to begin with, so anyway we can move people faster into the table area its better.”
Behrens said although chaotic at times, the interaction with students outweighs the stress the work brings.
“It’s fun, it’s fast-paced, it’s crazy, but I know what to expect,” he said. “Chatting with you guys is what keeps me back here.”
