Beyer Hall Cafeteria at Gannon University, Erie, Pa.
An extensive renovation of the dining facility at this private university included the installation of an array of E&S at several concept-themed food stations visible to customers as they select breakfast, lunch and dinner options.
By Donna Boss, Contributing Editor -- Foodservice Equipment & Supplies, 2/1/2005 12:00:00 AM
Photos by Paul Lorei
 The centerpiece of Beyer Hall Cafeteria, Bravo!, a cook-to-order station, is equipped with a round solid surface counter, drop-in hot and cold wells and induction cookers. At Grill Works (below), many menu items are also made to order on two flat tops, a char grill and two fryers. A drop-in hot well holds prepared foods. 
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An extensive renovation of the dining facility at this private university included the installation of an array of E&S at several concept-themed food stations visible to customers as they select breakfast, lunch and dinner options.
Designed in the 1960s, Beyer Hall Cafeteria at Gannon University in Erie, Pa., was built with two straight serving lines. Most of the food was prepared behind the scenes and displayed in steam-table pans. As the years passed and lifestyles changed at this private university with an enrollment of 3,400, such a setup became old-fashioned and unappealing to students, faculty and staff, whose taste preferences had become more sophisticated.
“The cafeteria had served us well, but was in dire need of an update,” said Ward McCracken, dean of student development at Gannon University. “We partnered with Metz & Associates, our dining management company, to develop a design that would improve food quality, dining atmosphere and traffic flow. We realize that students today have higher expectations in dining. They are used to the variety provided by a food court setting and want livelier presentations and a more modern setting.”
The process of selection for the cafeteria’s layout, design and equipment involved team meetings among representatives from the university; Metz & Associates, which has been at Gannon since 1995; the architectural firm, Direct Design Services; the equipment dealer, HRI; and the general contractor, Building Systems Inc. (Direct Design Services, HRI and Building Systems are all Erie, Pa.-based businesses.) With the $1.2 million project complete in August 2004, the renovated Beyer Hall Cafeteria was open for business in September.
When entering the 4,000-square-foot servery and 210-seat dining room, customers see nine food concept stations and two beverage stations, all of which are built with E&S designed for the preparation of specific menu fare. The use of colorful plates, signage, lighting and accessories work together to create a bright, lively atmosphere. In creating this visually appealing space, the designers incorporated the 14 different hues that are part of the interior design of the adjacent dining room and the Waldron Center, an existing student union that leads into the cafeteria. Beyer Hall also connects to the Hammermill Center, the university’s sporting arena. In creating the distinct décor for Beyer Hall, a variety of materials, such as wood-grain plastic laminates, ceramic tiles, linoleum floors and sleek, black countertops, were used.
Downstairs, a 4,000-square-foot area provides additional seating for 270 and a small servery. The first phase of the renovation project consisted of adding a stairwell to connect this area with the upstairs cafeteria.
 Pizza is prepared and baked in a deck oven on one side of Villa Toscano. On the other side, pasta and other Italian dishes are either displayed in hot/cold wells or prepared to order on induction cookers. |
“Input for the décor also came from student surveys and feedback and a special committee established by the university,” said Pete Mannarelli of Metz & Associates. Mannarelli serves as general manager of foodservices at Gannon University.
“One of our main challenges was to design the space so students would disperse to various stations and wouldn’t feel as though they were standing in long lines,” explained Scott Landis, project architect for Direct Design Services. “We had a limited amount of space to work with, so we had to be creative. As a result, we can now open or close stations to accommodate traffic.”
For example, the cafeteria serves breakfast at only three stations. At lunch, customer levels reach up to 800 people before dropping back down to approximately 400 for dinner. Though the cafeteria attracts mainly student customers, it has become more popular among faculty and staff than it was prior to the renovation. A back-of-the-house kitchen, in which E&S has been continually replaced, supports all servery stations.
In the center of the servery is Bravo!, a cook-to-order station with a round solid surface counter; a two-pan drop-in hot well; a two-pan drop-in cold well; and induction cookers. “Combination hot/cold pans were installed here and in other servery stations so a variety of food can be offered on any given day,” noted James Gornall, general manager of HRI Supply & Design Inc. of Erie.
The equipment at this station helps provide “eatertainment.” Cooks here prepare a variety of dishes ranging from made-to-order stir-fries, Portobello mushroom sandwiches and Cajun chicken salads under the watchful eye of their customers. “We also feature monotony breakers at Bravo!, such as a soft pretzel bar and sliced apples with toppings,” added Mannarelli.
Adjacent to Bravo! is Salad Sensations, a 24-foot-long salad bar with refrigerated wells. Offerings each day include varieties of lettuce and several toppings, as well as prepared salads, condiments and dressings. Silver-plated bowls and utensils with silver-plated handles were selected to give the salad area an upscale look. At least three varieties of soup, available in heated wells, are part of the daily menu.
 Customized sandwiches are put together at The Corner Deli (above), which was designed to contain an undercounter heated cabinet, a hot food display case, a two-door reach-in refrigerator, a countertop convection oven and a glass-fronted display case. In the behind-the-scenes kitchen (below), staff use prep tables, steamers, ranges, griddles and fryers to prepare entrées, soups and sauces that are served at the servery stations. 
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On another side of Bravo! is Sweet Ideas, which features eight flavors of ice cream in dipping wells, yogurt and cones. Students make their own dishes using a variety of toppings available via a dispenser.
Adjacent to Sweet Ideas is Villa Toscano, which is open at lunch and dinner. On one side of this station is the pizza area where all E&S is visible to customers. Kitchen workers access ingredients through a reach-in refrigerator and bring them out for preparation. Dough is rolled out on a long pizza prep table, then covered with sauces made in the back kitchen, and heated in a pizza oven out front. Each day, slices from three different types of pizzas are placed on a heated warming plate. Heating lamps positioned above the slices also keep them warm.
The other side of the station is reserved for pasta and other Italian dishes. A three-pan drop-in hot/cold well holds items such as calzones, stromboli and pepperoni balls. Other featured menu items here are individual casseroles, such as stuffed shells. Large casseroles are prepared in the back kitchen and brought to Villa where they are stored and later portioned in small casserole dishes along with customers’ choices of sauces and toppings. When casseroles aren’t offered on the menu, a made-to-order pasta dish is prepared using induction cookers. A beverage station is at the end of the station for customers’ easy access.
A few steps from Villa Toscano is The Corner Deli where customers can order customized sandwiches. This station is equipped with an undercounter heated cabinet, a hot food display case, a two-door reach-in refrigerator, a countertop convection oven and a glass-fronted display case. Various toppings, such as tomatoes, onions and peppers, are available here along with dressings and condiments. Breads are purchased from local and regional bakeries, while wraps are secured through a food distributor. The deli also features hot sandwiches, such as shaved roast beef, Italian sausage with peppers, and barbecued ham.
On the opposite side of the servery is Signature Entrées, a station equipped to feature “comfort foods,” such as macaroni and cheese, meat loaf, fried chicken and a taco bar. Preparation of these ingredients takes place in the back kitchen and items are brought out and placed in a three-pan drop-in hot/cold well, a two-pan drop-in hot well, an undercounter heated cabinet, a storage rack and reach-in refrigerator. Menu items for all three meals are available here.
At the connected Grill Works, the station combines some E&S that had been in place before the renovation — two flat tops, a char grill and two fryers — and new equipment, including an undercounter freezer, a four-pan drop-in hot well, a hot dog roller and wells for toppings such as lettuce, onions and cheese. Customers can order everything from chicken patties and hamburgers to french fries and potatoes, as well as breakfast items such as omelets and other egg dishes.
Also on this side of the servery is Baked Impressions, where pastries, cookies, brownies and cakes are made daily. E&S in this section includes a cutting board, conveyor toaster and a bread display cabinet. A bakery case holds items such as fruit, puddings, meringue pies and gelatins on the refrigerated side and bagels, muffins and other baked items on the dry side.
 Cereal dispensers and a waffle iron at Day Breakers allow customers to help themselves during breakfast, lunch and dinner. Across the aisle is Baked Impressions, a full-service bakery with an oven and display cases. |
Across from Baked Impressions is Day Breakers, where customers can help themselves to cereal and milk throughout the day. Also at this area is a waffle iron and toppings.
Beverages complete the station lineup. At Thirst Quenchers, customers access various drinks from two eight-head soda and lemonade dispensers, and machines for juice, milk, cappuccino and hot chocolate and coffee.
Downstairs, a salad bar, ice cream area, beverages and a bakery case are available so customers do not have to walk upstairs for these items once they are comfortably situated.
Supporting servery production is a large kitchen, also built in the 1960s. “We’ve replaced equipment here, though we haven’t renovated,” noted Mannarelli. E&S installed here includes a prep table, walk-in cooler, two deep-fat fryers, range, combi oven, steamer, convection oven, three tilting kettles, tilting skillet, mixers, cutters and slicers. Recently replaced were a steamer, an eight-burner range with two conventional ovens below, a baker’s oven and reach-in refrigerators. A new, flight-style dish machine was also installed two years ago.
“Overall, the renovation was a very dramatic, pleasing and acceptable change,” concluded Gornall. “What’s also worth noting is that it was done within a reasonable budget.” The equipment package cost $275,000.
Just as the new Beyer Hall Cafeteria was built in response to changing customer tastes and needs, so, too, is it contributing to the education of students, faculty and staff and raising the bar of their expectations. The flexibility of the equipment and supplies will undoubtedly contribute to a foodservice environment that must withstand another test of time.
>> View the floor plan of Beyer Hall Cafeteria at Gannon University
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