EUGENE–Tom Driscoll began his restaurant career as a dishwashing teenager and has since enjoyed roles as a waiter, cook and manager. But his most dramatic job change came in July when he moved from general manager of the Olive Garden restaurant chain to the new food services director for the University of Oregon.

"This is a dream job," says Dricoll, who holds a communications degree from San Francisco State University and a passion for the food service industry. "I’m excited about the challenges and opportunities that face me and my staff as we try to keep the many thousands of our student and other university customers satisfied."

That’s a tall order, considering the UO’s dining centers feed 3,000 people at the same time–three times a day, every day.

"And that’s one of the big differences between restaurants and university food service. Restaurant clientele is looking for consistency in your offerings. They want to know that the Chicken Parmesan they ordered and enjoyed two weeks ago will still be on the menu when they return," he says. "When you’re feeding 3,000 students every day, they’re looking for variety, so we try to keep the offerings interesting and nutritional."

Along those lines, Driscoll sent cards to all residents and their families, asking them to submit their favorite recipes for possible use in the dining halls.

"We’ve gotten quite a few responses and some look very tasty," says Driscoll. "We’ll feature some of these in our dining halls, along with the students who submitted them, once we determine which recipes can be replicated for the quantities that we need."

When you’re cooking for 3,000, that’s no small potatoes.

UO food service operates cafeteria-style dining centers at Carson Hall and University Inn that serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. Dinner fare includes such offerings as grilled Jamaican jerk chicken and curried pineapple rice as well vegetarian dishes, salad and sandwich bars.

One typical meal at Carson Dining Center translates into 250 pounds of fresh mashed potatoes, 350 pounds of chicken tenders, 300 pounds of dry spaghetti noodles, 30 gallons of pasta sauce, 90 loaves of focaccia bread, 70 pumpkin pies and 12 gallons of gravy. In addition, Carson patrons daily consume 100 pounds of salad greens and 12—14 cases of fruit.

Students can also get food-to-go at Hamilton’s Grab ‘n’ Go or have sit-down meals at the UO’s Pizanos Italian Restaurant or its Hammy’s, a ‘50s-style café.

"We’re trying to give students options for variety and convenience, and we’re getting very good feedback," says Driscoll.

Driscoll replaces Fred Babcock, who retired as food services director in March. Driscoll says he’s still getting settled in his new role and has no immediate plans for major changes. He says his focus will be on customer service, quality and safety. He also plans to listen carefully to student input as future menus are developed.

"One thing I learned in my years in the restaurant business is, ‘keep the customers satisfied,’" Driscoll emphasizes.

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