Page 18 - och0517_Magazine

Design

obviously, in the long run, it saves on labor costs. All
of those reasons are why we went with it. It is a Micros
system. It has been very successful. We always have a
cashier on because it won’t accept money. More and more
students are using cards anyway, so the kiosk is a natural
companion to the card. The students like that control.”
Provisions is the first convenience store on campus.
“We did have a small area within Stacks Market where
we would offer a limited offering of convenience-type
items,” said Cook. “That was something that students
and the campus community in general really wanted,
especially with as many beds as there are, whether they
are ours or off-campus within walking distance, those
2,000-plus beds. Middletown is a small college town,
but there is not really a grocery store within walking distance squadron, but that was the public information. In reality, that
to us. To add this feature to the campus and give them this helicopter squadron had a mission that, in event of some type
option to do their shopping here was something that was of national emergency or disaster where the president or other
wanted and needed.” important people down in Washington, D.C., would need to
The store offers items like laundry detergent, soap, batteries be extracted and taken to some secure safe location, they
and toilet paper. “We offer all the things that students don’t would be responsible. Their code name was Outpost Mission.”
think about until they get here and realize that they need,” he He continued, “One of the things that Penn State likes to do
said. “We didn’t have that space in Stacks Market. We were is tie in history when we name our operations. We thought that
really focused on grab ’n go stuff to get them through the it would be appropriate to call this new foodservice operation
weekend or home on a road trip.” The Outpost in recognition of the space that we now occupy.
The names for both The Outpost and Provisions are a nod We started there, and to go along with it, for the convenience
to the history of the area the campus now occupies. “This store, which is right around the corner, we came up with Pro-
land, prior to the 1960s, was an Air Force base. It was called visions, which lends itself to The Outpost. We tried to come
Olmsted Air Force Base,” said Cook. “There was a helicop- up with names that only lent a subtle mention to the military
ter unit here and it was designated as a helicopter training history, but it was still there.” —OCH

18 | MAY 2017 ON-CAMPUS HOSPITALITY