From Dec. 22 to Jan. 15 for twenty-three days, Freedom Cafeteria, the student dining hall, was under renovation. Though there were miscellaneous changes, the main purpose of the renovation was to enhance the condition of the ceiling in the kitchen and change the tablecloths.
According to Welfare Facilities, there were several reasons for the renovation. One of them was the advice from Pohang City Hall to renovate the aged ceiling of the kitchen. Another was Welfare Facilities’ own reflection for the necessity to renew the facilities.
However, the needier problem was the aged exhaust system right below the ceiling. The exhaust system was exposed to all the heat generated from the cooking in the kitchen. Before the renovation, they could not do their job properly. During the summer, in particular, the heats circulated in the kitchen and increased the temperature even higher, up to 46 degrees Celsius. This is a condition which might cause food poisoning. Now the equipment was all replaced.
Also, the tiles were replaced so the cooks could work in a safer environment. This will let the workers focus more on their food preparation than on trying not to slip.
These changes are meaningful in that the students and faculty members can be provided with higher quality food cooked in enhanced conditions. Also, the welfare of the school workers reached a higher level.
There also was an unexpected gain. During the renovation, the student dining hall took place in the faculty & staff cafeteria, and the faculty & staff cafeteria’s lunch menu took place in Yeon-Ji. During this period, Welfare Facilities provided a buffet during lunch as an experiment. Surprisingly, there was a visible decrease in the amount of left-over food. A quantitative analysis is in process, but the visible change and the decrease of left-over will contribute to efficiency and safety of food preparation.