A conversation with Luci Johnson: What makes the Bethel Caf work?
From early in the morning until deep in the evening, Luci's team works as a unit to serve the Bethel community.
Three times a day we can find a variety of delicious and warm food in the Bethel Cafeteria (the Caf). However, we don‘t really know what it‘s like serving the Bethel community from behind the counter and the work that goes on behind the scenes to make the Caf what it is.
For an answer, I asked Lucinda Johnson — the Food Services Director of the Caf — this exact question.
Lucinda (or better known as Luci) grew up in rural Kansas. After her schooling, she began following her passion for cooking. And after working at different establishments when she got her culinary arts degree at Johnson County Community College, she arrived in Wichita — and is now a part of the Bethel Caf team.
The preparation for our daily meals starts early in the morning. The crew needs two hours to get all the food ready for the day, and they always start with the meal which needs the most work and time.
During their process, they first work with leftovers in order to not waste food. So, whenever there’s leftover meat, it gets stored in the refrigerator at the right temperature After each meal, it takes one hour for the team to get everything clean.
I also asked Luci about the advantages and disadvantages of working at the Caf. What she really enjoys is the atmosphere created by both the crew and the students. She likes talking with students as well, especially when it’s about receiving feedback.
We also discussed the requirements for student employees of the Caf. Luci emphasized the importance of close-toed shoes, long pants, and the safety protocol when it comes to cleanliness and cross-contamination of food items.
In regard to the last point, she repeats that food safety is truly the Caf’s top priority, though it can be difficult to teach those rules to the student workers because they’re not required to take Servsafe classes — but they became familiar with the process nevertheless. Additionally, if you want to be part of the crew, you have to enjoy working in a team and be able to communicate with your teammates.
When asked about the disadvantages, Luci mentioned just one: the “waste of food.” The Caf has a base amount of money to spend per student, which is $13 each for a day. And due to the rising food costs, it gets difficult for them to maintain budget-friendly options, especially with the amount of food students eat and waste.
Here, Luci talks about the repeated situation where “for example, there can be a whole bowl of Yogurt coming through on the conveyor belt.” Therefore, a serving’s worth of dairy is being discarded — and it’s not reusable, either.
This is why Luci calls for Bethel students to change their eating habits in the Caf: take less food and refill their plates instead of taking too much food and throwing it away. That way, the students can indirectly assist in the exhaustive preparation and closing processes Luci’s team undergoes on a daily basis.
Because at the end of the day, Luci loves serving students — and learning how she can constantly become better at doing so. This willingness was on full display in her team’s cooperation with the Student Government Association’s Ad Hoc Caf Committee last spring.
”We take feedback [from students] seriously,” Luci said. “So, whenever there’s a problem concerning the food, [I’m] ready to listen to everyone.”