Sodexo has hired John Stewart to serve as the new general manager and he is kicking off the semester by implementing the new meal plan system and dining initiatives.
Stewart has been working for Sodexo at Truman State University for 25 years, most recently serving as the office manager for the last four years. Justin Dreslinski, the former general manager, left Truman for a position with Sodexo at the University of Central Missouri.
Stewart said he is not looking to do any major dining transformations right now, but will work on implementing the new meal plan and tweaking food options.
“My big focus is food forward,” Stewart said. “We want to put good food out. We always have, don’t get me wrong with that, but it’s more just kind of critique of what we already do.”
Additionally, Stewart said campus dining will include some new recipes and twists on some old recipes. He said Sodexo will be evaluating dishes based on how they are prepared and how they are received by students, faculty and staff.
With the new meal plans, Sodexo has also started offering a Sunday dinner in Missouri Hall. While the first one only had around 180 people attend, Stewart said he thinks the initiative will be a success.
“Honestly, our counts were not very high that first night … but also with that being said that was the same night on The Quad with the free hotdogs and everybody had just gotten back to campus,” Stewart said. “I’m hoping it’s a big success. I think it’s a great added value as well for the students.”
Samplings and promotional events will continue through this year as well, Stewart said.
Despite Dobson Hall being closed, Sodexo still has the C-Store open in the lobby. As of now, Stewart said there are no plans to close it this year.