Tracy Kamikawa

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The Cafeteria Menu
By Tracy Kamikawa and James Zigouris
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Introduction

Our project was to determine all factors that are
involved in deciding what food should be served
at the Mason-Abbot Cafeteria. The cafeteria
approximately serves 150 students per meal and
offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner courses. The
breakfast menu consists of a side of meat, side
dishes, starches, cereals, bagels, eggs, and
drinks. The lunch menu consists of vegetable side
dishes, soup, entrée, vegetarian entrée, sides,
deserts, drinks, and salads. The dinner menu
consists of a different selection in each of the
lunch categories. The cafeteria is home to a
large workforce, containing 17 full time
employees, consisting of seven cooks, two
sanitation workers, six supervisors, one
assistant manager, and one food manager. Also,
the cafeteria employs 160 students on a part time
basis.
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Objectives
Our objective in studying this cafeteria was to
draft a menu which maximized variety while
minimizing cost by utilizing a linear programming
formulation. We also considered the nutritional
needs of the average student with regard to
caloric, protein, and fat intake. Our objective
function was to minimize the cost of operation
for one week. This required minimizing spending
on food, manpower, and utilities and maximizing
income from the purchase of meal plans.
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Methodology
Our methodology consisted of assessing the
current fare offered at the Mason-Abbot cafeteria
in terms of variety, cost, preparation time,
required manpower, and nutritional value. Our
formulation was in terms of 50 servings, as we
assumed that the 150 students served at each meal
did not partake in every offering. In other
words, only 50 out of the 150 students ate each
item on the menu. Preparation times required for
dishes and bulk prices for the food items were
obtained to further aide in our formulation.
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Results
We determined an optimum menu and found the price
to be 18,466.71. Our plan was to minimize the
cost while still presenting variety. We
discovered that it isnt feasible to provide vast
variety within the bounds of monetary and
production costs. Even with the income of
purchased meal plans, the cost of operating the
cafeteria is very high. In the end, even though
all other variables are considered, cost is still
the determining factor that MSU considers when
developing the menu.
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Discussion
As our study progressed, we began to appreciate
the magnitude of the challenge. At times it
seemed that the factors involving cost and
nutritional values were at odds. Bulk foods,
while more affordable, were often higher in fats
and carbohydrates. This and other conflicts truly
made this project a difficult task. When
considering the variety on the cafeteria menu, it
might not seem sufficient, or the tastes might be
sub-par, but you must remember all the factors
that were considered when the menu was being
drafted. Just as universities are known for their
poor dormitory food, college students are known
for their empty wallets. A better tasting
cafeteria menu might not seem like such a great
idea when a meal starts to cost more than a meal
at a classy restaurant.
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Conclusion
We found a menu minimizing cost and maximizing
variety over a one week period at the Mason-Abbot
cafeteria. We utilized a linear programming model
to incorporate nutritional values, income, and
the costs of food, labor, and utilities in
determining the best possible menu. Our
methodology consisted of comparing food options
by constraining the variables to minimize cost
and labor, maximize variety, and meeting protein
requirements while not exceeding fat intake
guidelines. As we stated previously though, the
perfect menu cannot be attained and the menu that
costs the least is the one that is served.