Cafeteria Catering Concepts

Rohan Singh - Bangalore

Catering for the IT sector is a daunting task. Software programmers are avid travellers, and have gone on-site to various locations in the United States of America. They are well-versed with the offerings from various global food and beverage chains viz McDonalds, Kentucky Fried Chicken, TGIF etc, thereby increasing expectations when it comes to food offered at the office cafeterias. On the other hand, being a 24/7 operation, catering to a cosmopolitan cultural cross-section of society at very nominal rates poses a great challenge not only to the organisation but to the caterer as well. Satyam has however, tried to benchmark the cafeteria operations with the help of a team of hospitality experts and has been successful to a great extent.

To begin with, they created a food court like concept at most of the office cafeterias, inviting multiple vendors to offer an array of products and services. For instance they have a juice counter, a buffet counter for regular meals, bakery section, coffee pub and a knick knack kiosk for short meals.

Brands Galore

In addition to this the company has tie-ups with branded vendors like Monginis, Amul's, Pizzeria, Cafe Coffee Day and Dominos to name a few while they engage some of the best caterers in the city for regular food requirements. Even with regard to the food menus, various meal options are available viz a la carte, make your own meal, executive mini meal, tandoori combo meal etc.

For dining with clients, an exclusive fine dining facility is available which is on par with a luxury hotel and offers varied multicuisine fare. Food and snack festivals and theme lunches are planned at these cafeterias as a monthly activity showcasing regional cuisines of India, which sometimes coincides with religious festival days. This not only breaks the monotony but adds life to the cafeteria.

Colour Concepts

Colour seems to be the key when one speaks of the ambience of the cafeteria or food court. Vibrant colours, modular furniture, cable television, air-conditioning, jukeboxes etc, all add to the decor. Older offices that were planned years ago are now undergoing a major revamping exercise.

The crockery used is melamine or China as steel develops a jaded look after regular use and is very noisy. Polycarbonate glasses are in used while the fine dining crockery is all branded with the Satyam logo. The kitchens at the new offices are being set up with modern equipment such as brat pans, deep fat friers, salamanders, dishwashers etc, while the older facilities are upgraded strictly on a need basis.

Hygiene Standards

This not only adds to the hygiene factor but enhances the quality of cooking vis-a-vis the time spent for pre-preparation and production of food. To add to this, personal hygiene of catering crew is maintained by usage of disposable gloves, caps and potassium permanganate dips in the pantry areas. Pantry rules are prominently displayed and adhered to by food handlers, who undergo medical tests every six months. The quality of raw material is checked at every point from receiving to stores to kitchen while being stored appropriately. Prepared food samples are randomly collected and sent for microbiological laboratory testing to check for the presence of bacteria. Water is also sample tested at the lab periodically. Smaller offices have a pantry area attached.

Cafetaria Initiatives

As a part of other initiatives towards the cafeteria, the employees handling the cafeteria portfolio are sent to other IT campuses on field visits and have regular training sessions imparted by experts from the hospitality industry. Diet clinics are conducted every year at all the respective offices wherein a food consultant and dietician make presentations on healthy eating and recommend low calorie and a range of other diets which eventually become a part of the menus. Satyam employees transact for all food and beverage purchases via a pre-paid smart card, which is accepted at all, the branch cafeterias across the country. The company also has recently introduced a novel system of collecting feedback, a box with slots wherein an employee can put in either a red or green coin against the parameters of food, service and/or hygiene to disapprove or approve respectively, during his/her meal. This instant and transparent feedback system ensures that issues are addressed immediately. A food committee comprising representatives from the organisation meet monthly to approve the menus and discuss suggestions and feedback.

The cafeteria operations at Satyam is a comprehensive well-defined process which comes under the purview of an external audit, whenever due. Internationally renowned agencies are liable to audit the cafeteria as is done with business processes and the security function.

(The author is corporate food and beverage manager, Satyam Computer Services Ltd)