Page 18 - gfs0318_Magazine

COMMANDER’S UPDATE

Team Northwest Region, from
Naval Base Kitsap, Wash., is
critiqued by CSC Matthew Sus-
ienka (back to camera, wearing a
tan ball cap). Team members, from
left to right, are: CS2 Kyle Crane,
Naval Base Kitsap; CS2 Kyle Day,
Naval Air Station Whidbey Island; and
CS3 Jesse Grijalva, Naval Air Station
Whidbey Island.

the region manager will monitor the utilization. The local of today want in terms of food service. What we learned
community may grow as a result of the base population, is that they want a multitude of options. They want food
which will then ease the burden on the galley. to go; they want smoothies; they want healthy food; and
they want deep-fat fried food. They want food delivered;
Government Food Service: Navy Ashore in 2018 enters the and sometimes they want a cozy environment to relax.
third year of the partnership between Naval Supply Systems What we’ve learned is there is no simple answer. It seems
Command (NAVSUP) and Commander, Navy Installations a standard menu with fixed meal hours and 20 minutes to
Command (CNIC). Please update us on this relationship. eat and leave is NOT what they want.
Our current menus are fixed with little change month
George: NAVSUP and CNIC have a continued strong to month based on supply chain methodology. Facilities
partnership. The goal of both of our organizations is to are outdated; most do not have Wi-Fi capability. In large
provide the best service and food quality available within operations, made-to-order foods are not available because
our means. Our organizations partner together for menu of the volume of patrons and the time limits for meals.
reviews, training opportunities, equipment synchroniza- So what have we done? Most galleys now have a grab-
tion and general food service trends. NAVSUP conducts and-go option allowing the sailor to have a quick snack or
bi-weekly teleconferences with all stakeholders to discuss meal without having to dine in. With a focus on providing
any concerns, new issues or suggestions. Through this col- healthier options, additional fresh items have been intro-
laborative exchange, everyone benefits by learning from duced for salad bars. Better signage encourages the patrons
the others. Best practices and lessons learned are shared so to consider healthy selections. Some locations offer all-day
future operations can be even better than today. dining versus set meal hours. Mobile food or delivery service
is available at some sites. The bottom line is, whenever we
Government Food Service: Navy Ashore Food Service is can improve service and food quality without increasing
becoming more aware that the expectations younger sailors the cost of the service, we will attempt to meet the custom-
have for food service have changed over the years. Would you ers’ demands.
explain a little about what is being learned and how that is
shaping the Navy Ashore Food Service program? Government Food Service: Has Navy food service ashore
been influenced by or implemented any of the dining facility
George: Except at training commands, the most chal- design ideas presented during the three-day NRA training
lenging aspect of food service is getting the customer through program in its operations?
the door, and keeping them as a repeat customer. Galleys
were designed to feed the sailors on the base three meals George: Facility design for ashore galleys is generally
per day, seven days per week. That may have been the determined by Naval Facilities Engineering Command.
standard when bases were not located near metropolitan Commercial design ideas can be taken into consideration
areas, or when everyone lived on the base. Those factors when there is flexibility in the design concept. Most of the
are no longer true. projects for Navy galleys are renovations to the structure
The TANG event was designed to explore what the sailors or system upgrades. Unfortunately, through the military

18 GOVERNMENT FOOD SERVICE • MARCH 2018