Reckers: making southside smile
By CHRISTINA CEPERO
News Writer
Reckers, the only 24-hour restaurant on campus, revamped its menu over winter break to offer students new and improved items.
University staff decided it was time to make Reckers into something fresh, said junior Katie Hunter, a student manager.
Mike Davy, operations manager of Reckers since it opened in 1998, said the Reckers menu needed a change after having the same items for four years. The restaurant focused on developing a new sandwich concept, seeking to differentiate itself from other campus restaurants.
After six months of planning and studying student questionnaires, trade journals and trends in the restaurant industry, Reckers staff began developing new recipes for its menu about a year ago, modeling its new Artisan Sandwiches after Panera Bread and Cosi sandwiches. Because the restaurant is open 24 hours, it had to wait for an extended break to make the changes.
The new menu offers more than 1,500 possible sandwich combinations, including five favorites, on bread baked in its own wood-fired oven.
"It's a nice change from regular bread," said senior Crystal Martinez.
Students have a choice of cubed grilled chicken, grilled tuna, grilled veggies, sliced beef or sliced ham for $4 with one ingredient, for $4.50 with two ingredients or for $5 with three ingredients.
Although prices have increased, the sandwiches "taste and cost as much as you want," Davy said. Students can customize their sandwiches by choosing from nine flavorings, five salsas, five spreads and five cheeses.
Senior Ryan Steel, a student manager, said, "They are unique to sandwiches anywhere else on campus or in the dining halls."
Reckers also wanted to provide a savory alternative to the newly opened Subway in LaFortune Student Center.
In order to offer such a wide variety of gourmet sandwiches, Reckers had to eliminate certain fillings. "Students can get turkey and egg salad sandwiches anywhere on campus," said Davy.
Reckers staff have also had to re-train its employees, including 70 students.
"I was a little afraid of it at first because there are so many different things, but I think it's going to work well," said Hunter.
Students have had a very favorable response toward the new sandwiches.
"Most students are very willing to try something new," said Davy.
Reckers has also added a grilled Portobello mushroom sandwich ideal for vegetarians, a new line of Freshen Farms high-quality ice cream and burger patties increased from a third of a pound to a half-pound. Reckers still has the same wood oven-baked pizzas, side dishes and drinks as before.
The restaurant remodeled its order-taking area as part of the first phase of changes. The cash register is now in the middle of the counter, so students can see the fruit and pastries while in line and serve themselves, speeding up the process. And to pick up their food orders, students now take beepers to the right side of the counter to relieve the congestion that used to develop around the cash register.
To pick up Show Me The Money ice cream or Jamaican Jammer smoothies, customers can now go to the left side of the counter with their receipt.
In the future, Reckers plans to undergo a second phase of remodeling. That will include re-upholstering the furniture, changing the carpet and painting the walls in the dining area.
All News Stories for Thursday, January 16, 2003
