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The return to campus dining for the fall semester in NEPA brought many challenges for Metz Culinary Management, a locally owned company that has been in business for 25 years.
				In addition to adding Penn State Wilkes-Barre and Scranton campuses to their portfolio of higher education clients, which includes Misericordia University, Lackawanna College and Johnson College locally, the Metz team was faced with the task of creating individualized reopening safety plans for on-campus dining.
				In addition to the local colleges, Metz Culinary Management currently manages dining programs at 43 other campuses in Pennsylvania and along the East Coast.
				&ldquo;We faced a challenge in not only adhering to CDC recommendations as they relate to on-campus dining, but also specific state guidelines,&rdquo; said Dennis Daley, VP of Operations for Metz Culinary Management.
				This meant a specifically tailored return to campus dining plan for each higher education client and an extensive training program for all Metz dining staff. &rdquo;With safety as our primary concern, we&rsquo;ve also put a big emphasis on the technology side of safety with enhanced communication and emphasis on online and mobile ordering rather than waiting in line,&rdquo; Daley added. This includes touchless payment with the swipe of a card.
				While one might think that COVID-19 restrictions may have placed a limitation on menu selections, that&rsquo;s not the case for most of the Metz Culinary higher ed clients.
				&ldquo;Actually, we felt the key to keeping students both happy and safe was keeping everything fresh and innovative,&rdquo; Daley said.
				This includes Metz Culinary Management&rsquo;s new grab and go program called Chef Fresh. The new concept was designed with a chef-inspired, freshly prepared food philosophy in mind. In addition to an enticing and rebranded look, the grab and go menus have been expanded to include some unique recipes for traditional salads, sandwiches, snacks and desserts. Some of the new menu items include a Mediterranean Lentil & White Quinoa Shaker Salad, Chopped Southern Peach Chicken Salad, Smoked Turkey & Bacon on a Pretzel Roll, BLT & Pesto Chicken Sandwich, Vegetarian Power Bowl and more.
				Although it&rsquo;s been a challenge to meet all state requirements in addition to other health requirements, Metz Culinary Management has a strong team in place focused on doing just that.
				&ldquo;It&rsquo;s definitely not a one solution fits all approach,&rdquo; Daley said. &ldquo;Our managers met with college and university administrators to develop detailed plans based on needs.&rdquo;
				This included staff temperature checks, increased sanitation procedures, social distancing signage, mask requirements, and a redesigned flow of traffic to keep students moving in one direction smoothly. These plans brought changes to the overall dining landscape to make it as safe as possible for students.
				Two other Metz Culinary programs are helping with student satisfaction and safety as well.
				&ldquo;Restock&rdquo; gives students an opportunity to order and pickup limited groceries right on campus and &ldquo;Send A Smile&rdquo; is a program that enables parents or others to order gift baskets and homemade treats for students on campus.
				&ldquo;Restock is a safe way for students to get some groceries without ever leaving campus,&rdquo; Daley said. &ldquo;We stock about 40 different items that can be ordered and bagged for pickup within 24 hours.&rdquo;
				A sampling of the grocery items that have become popular with students include pop tarts, deli meats, fresh fruits and produce, milk and freshly prepared frozen entrees. Send A Smile is another program that became an immediate hit. Parents who are unable to visit can order fresh cookie, brownie or cupcake baskets, as well as cakes and other baskets to surprise a student on campus. It&rsquo;s a great way for a parent to let their child know they are thinking about them.
				While it&rsquo;s certainly not dining as usual, Metz Culinary Management has worked diligently to ensure that the on-campus dining experience is as safe and enjoyable as possible.

Local on-campus dining programs rise above challenges of pandemic