By Kaia Bodden
As delegates rush off to the skyways in search of a cure for their hunger, food service workers in City Center prepare for battle. Over 800 delegates storm the limited food establishments available to them, only adding to the existing customer base of office workers and other visitors. This overwhelming wave of hungry mouths to feed puts a distinct pressure on those made to feed them. Factors like time given to prepare, stocking of product, and staffing can make or break a restaurant’s ability to accommodate delegates.
To learn more about the effects of the conference on food service workers, we interviewed workers from Los Ocampo and Cardigan Donuts. Both workers stated that they were aware of the conference, but the two companies approached the situation differently. At Los Ocampo, a chain restaurant native to Minnesota, workers were told that there was a YMCA conference taking place, but they were not given details about it. Though they did not know exactly what they were preparing to face, the restaurant opted to close at 8pm instead of their usual 2:30pm closing time, at least aware that there would be in influx of customers. For those at the conference, this means that we have one more option for dinner. For workers like the woman we spoke to, this five hour extension in the work day means working a twelve hour shift instead of a seven hour shift, with their 8am start-time remaining unchanged. Though this may seem like a small change, it reflects a bigger issue: the pressure on local businesses to accommodate the needs of those at the MUN conference. Workers are burdened with the challenge of adjusting their schedules in exchange for a few days of profit for their company and expanded meal opportunities for delegates.
Our conversation with Jess at Cardigan Donuts provided more insight into this issue. After welcoming us into a relatively empty store, she shared that she and her coworkers had just learned about the conference this morning. This short notice, whether an issue of internal or external communication, left them with an inability to prepare enough donuts, leading them to have low stock. She stated that though she was undeterred by the large load of delegates, that she would have preferred to have been notified in advance in order to be better prepared.
Based on the slow flow of customers in the skyways outside of designated conference mealtimes, it can be inferred that the conference supplies an irregularly large amount of customers to the restaurants in City Center. Businesses like Los Ocampo and Cardigan Donuts adjust their usual routines in order to accommodate the delegates they receive, even if it’s at the expense of their employees. While we cannot suppress our hunger or feasibly change company policies, we can find ways to support those working to feed us. Jess remarked that the delegates she received were extremely kind and respectful, and remaining this way is a surefire method of ensuring the wellbeing of those working in the restaurants of City Center.
So, stay kind, clean up after yourself, and remember that your meal costs more than just money.