Jarred Walker – Staff Writer
Some students are hesitant to eat food provided and distributed on campus mainly because they think it will be grade-school quality and expensive.
Quality has never been an issue at Daytona State College and it especially won’t be in 2019, due to the hiring of a new campus catering company, Metz Culinary. In addition to new, well-received menu items, students have also been pleased with the pricing that has come with the company.
Presently located in the Lenholt Center (Building 130), their services run Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Founded in 1994, Metz is respected for its high quality, diverse foods and low prices. The company operates throughout Florida, including Florida A&M University in Tallahassee and Hillsborough Community College in Tampa.
DSC Events and Catering Manager Lynne Johnston said, “We’ve been getting amazing reviews. The cafeteria has been busier than it’s been in a long time. There’s something for everybody. Even the other day, somebody told me that the omelet they had there was the best one they’ve ever had in their life.”
Metz sets up a variety of stations such as the deli, Italian, breakfast, grill and salad bar. Each of these stations has a long list of options to choose from and in trying to change with the trends, include healthier items such as gluten free and vegan.
Joey Hecht, an engineering major at DSC, eats there frequently and said, “I like the food this year better because it tastes fresher and more natural. They have a great variety. I personally love the chicken wraps best.”
The premium deli meats and cheeses used are Boar’s Head brand, which is also featured at all Publix Supermarkets, another company highly respected for quality food and products. Boar’s Head is a sponsor of Metz Culinary, lending its good name and products to the catering group.
“The Italian station is where we make our fresh baked pizzas, the grill station includes fresh burgers, chicken sandwiches and French fries,” explained Jason Lutton, Executive Chef and General Manager of Metz Culinary at DSC. “Then we have what we call our Main Plate, which is where we can kind of shine and do different specials each day. We can do anything from Atlantic cod to fresh chicken enchiladas. Each station also runs a special, so one day in the deli it might be a pressed Cuban sandwich or one day we could do a buffalo chicken pizza.”
They concentrate on making prices of meals affordable for college students. Most range from $3 to $5. For future reference, Metz will be relocating to the new L. Gale Lemerand Student Center (Building 115) once it is complete.