Editor’s Note: Recently, I was able to sit down with Mike Miller, the director of Dining Services at Siena Heights University.

Mike Miller has been in the industry for 35 years, but started at Siena on Aug. 29. Since then, he said he has been working hard to get his team together and change some things around.

“I would hope you would see some improvements,” he said, while talking about the updates of the SHU Shop, amongst other procedures his team has put into practice.

It appears he has ideas, but those take time, and, with an entirely new staff of management, that time runs thin.

Miller said he does not want to “manage from behind the desk.” From time to time, he will walk the dining hall in order to hear what students are saying or to check on the appearances of the food.

“I’m out there purposely to engage with the students,” said Miller.

When he hears complaints about the quality of the food, he mentioned that, most times, it is a preference issue, not a quality issue.

“I don’t cook like Mom,” he stated. “I have 600 people on a meal plan.”

When asked how he would define quality, he said, “it starts with the ingredients that you buy.” He described his food as “wholesome,” but was unable to share what that really means. He mentioned that they buy from “reputable vendors that meet standards.”

But what ingredients? What standards? When asked if there was a way for students to read the nutritional information, or know where the food is sourced and coming from, he didn’t have an exact answer. However, he did state that he would look into it.

Looking at a plate of food, he said quality to him means is the food is appealing, how’s the taste, and is the temperature of the item correct?

“We all eat with our eyes, right?” he asked.

While that may be the first thing we see, some students said they feel differently about the quality of an item.

Junior Keegan Pabst described what quality means to her, in terms of food: “fresh, with less preservatives and a balanced meal of fruit, vegetables, and protein, not just carbs.”

Alondra Zamudio, a freshman, said, “the food has what we need, in terms of a balanced meal, but it doesn’t taste good.”

Sophomore Courtney Taylor said, “a lot of times their meat isn’t cooked properly, and there’s not a lot of variety.”

According to Miller, “it doesn’t matter what quality of service I perceive, it matters what the customers perceive.”

While Miller said he gave himself a 7/7.5 rating out of 10 in terms of quality. Other students disagreed.

Taylor gave them a 5 or 6, Hopkins gave them a 6, Pabst gave them a 6, Zamudio gave them an 8, and Lucas Beal, a freshman, gave them a 5.

Beal’s reasoning?

“It’s the same stuff every day. I think they can do better with their fresh fruit and vegetables,” he said.

Something all the students interviewed agreed on was the lack of flavor. Zamudio suggested leaving out seasonings for students to use freely. Pabst touched on this as well in her reasoning behind her rating.

“I gave them a 6 because I think they do try to have recipes that students will like, but I don’t appreciate when they add an unnecessary ingredient that could be added by a student,” she said. “For example, a pre-made wrap with mustard or a grilled cheese with tomato.”

Miller said there is “room for improvement,” when it comes to the quality of the food.

“Every day is a little different. We work very hard to do the best for the students,” he said.

According to Miller, “a good portion” of the food is fresh, not frozen. About 50 percent of meat is fresh, while vegetables are 80-90 percent fresh.

Miller was more than willing to give examples in which they make items from scratch: pizza dough, mashed potatoes and pulled pork, just to name a few. The pizza sauce and buttermilk dressing is homemade as well he stated. But later retracted that, saying the base of the sauce comes from a can and the dressing starts out as a powdered packet.

In terms of favorite dishes, Miller said he believes the students love chicken tenders, wrap sandwiches, pulled pork, Mongo, chicken parmesan, chicken alfredo and fresh green beans.

According to the five students interviewed, here are some of their favorites: the Mongo bar, fried chicken, pizza (when it’s not burnt), spaghetti and meatballs, fruit and the salad bar.

A healthy, balanced meal means to Miller: a balance between fruits, veggies and proteins. Miller mostly discussed the fruits and vegetables, but said he noticed that many students’ plates are filled with carbs.

“There’s lots of carbs. As an athlete, it’s hard,” said Alyssa Hopkins, a sophomore on the lacrosse team.

Pabst commented on why she feels she cannot eat a balanced meal at Siena: “They don’t have enough fruit and they don’t provide what could be the healthiest option. For example, they give us iceberg lettuce, instead of spinach, which is rare. It should be an option every day.”

Miller also talked about “controlling the waste.” All the food that students throw out becomes waste, and thus drives cost factors up. He explained his reasoning, saying it seems like students grab a bunch of food, presuming they are hungry, but don’t end up finishing it because they are full.

However, I said this might not be the case. Some students may throw out things based on the taste, and the fact that there are rarely signs indicating each item and everything on or in it.

“It just doesn’t taste good; there’s no flavor,” said Zamudio.

“When the chicken is baked, it’s usually either pink or raw,” said Taylor.

Nonetheless, with this new management team, there have been some changes, and Miller said he is very focused on customer satisfaction.

Those with any dietary needs that aren’t being addressed and would like to talk about the quality of the food and your dining experience, don’t hesitate to contact Miller at [email protected] or call him at 517-264-7905 to help him go from “good to great.”