Running the Resort
An interview with Julie Bogar
How Rice feeds its masses has drastically changed over the years. The Central Kitchen, which used to produce all meals for the colleges and then transport them to each commons, is now home to the Oshman Engineering Design Kitchen, where recipes of a different kind are cooked up. Alumni can surely attest to how things were, as can Julie Bogar, who began working at Rice in 1990 as a residential dining manager, supervising the operations, menus and ordering for the first eight residential colleges. As Housing and Dining gradually opened the four larger serveries (cafeteria-style eateries with professional chefs that are attached to two to three colleges each) beginning in 2002, the management and culinary staff increased. In 2010, Rice restructured its Housing and Dining staff to include four senior operations managers. Their time is divided between residential housing and dining responsibilities. Bogar oversees the South Servery and Sid, Wiess and Hanszen colleges. Describe your average day. I like to view my area as “the resort,” and I’m the manager. I begin my day by walking
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through the servery, checking the breakfast service and talking with students and staff. Another key area that I monitor is the work order system for repairs or services requested by residents in the South Colleges. I make sure they are completed and often follow up with the resident via email. I walk different areas of my three colleges doing visual safety and repair inspections each day. It’s also a good time to interact with the students who might have a particular concern. My average day, free of fire alarms, a broken sprinkler pipe, a college covered in chocolate syrup or a bird flying through the servery, also includes lots of ongoing communication via informal meetings or emails
on issues pertaining to special events, college ambiance projects [projects that improve college public spaces], training, inspections or renovation projects. What are things like behind the scenes in the South Servery? Very organized. Chef Roger [Elkhouri] and Chef Kyle [Hardwick] run a very efficient, structured kitchen, which eliminates guesswork and increases efficiency. This is very evident in our staff’s satisfaction level. I hope they would all say that they enjoy their work and are constantly learning new things. Our newest venture, the Whoo Deli, a retail deli