University of Virginia Library

Grilling It

When Newcomb Hall was still on the
drawing boards in the late '50's, students
noted with dismay the plans for what is now
The Grill. Fraternity houses were the proper
places for students to congregate and eat, they
felt, and the whole idea of a "snack bar" and
a "student union building" smacked of that
notorious disease peculiar to the University -
creeping state-U-ism.

But with more foresight than they
customarily display, the University's planners
stuck to their guns and The Grill was born.
Over the past several years, its popularity has
steadily soared as the University has changed
into the type of place that originally spawned
such things as student unions and snack bars.
Graduate students and independents favor it
for lunch, and students of all varieties find it
convenient for coffee breaks.

Unfortunately, the Grill's service hasn't
come close to keeping pace with its
popularity. For all but those who can stomach
the tasteless sandwiches offered on the
self-service line, waits of 20 minutes to half an
hour are common. And it's not that anyone is
asking for, or getting, carefully prepared food,
or even food that tastes particularly good.

Obviously, Food Service, which runs the
Grill, doesn't really care whether the service is
good or bad. They have a monopoly on the
Grounds which insures the financial success of
a venture like the Grill. But others in the
volume feeding business have found ways to
process large numbers of customers quickly,
provide decent food, and do it at competitive
prices. Why not Food Service?