01/14/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 01/14/2025 14:20
A team of Morale, Welfare and Recreation employees at DLA Installation Management Richmond earned recognition for doing what other people doubted they could do: open a cafeteria in 90 days.
With hard work, innovation, teamwork and persistence, six MWR employees facilitated opening Centre Bistro 46 cafeteria on Defense Supply Center Richmond, providing increased food options to the DSCR workforce. As a result, Centre Bistro 46 won the 2024 Defense Logistics Agency Family Morale, Welfare and Recreation Facility/Program Excellence Award, set to be presented at the DLA Annual Awards Jan. 23 on Fort Belvoir.
In late 2023, DLA Installation Management Richmond's Site Director David Gibson realized the need for more food options on DSCR to support the influx of employees returning to the office Jan. 1, 2024. At that time, DSCR only had a cafe with limited menu options and a retail snack shop, which wasn't enough to support the entire DSCR workforce. He tasked MWR with re-opening the cafeteria facility in the DLA Aviation Operations Center rather than going with a contractor since setting up an in-house operation would be faster.
Gibson and MWR Chief Ursula Hickox selected Feb. 1, 2024, for the Centre Bistro opening, which gave the MWR team 90 days to hire and train employees and set up operations.
Jason Meyers, MWR business and recreation chief, led the planning, hiring and budgeting efforts. He was the only member of the team with prior food and hospitality experience.
"Planning the food operation itself wasn't the most challenging part," said Meyers. "The most challenging part is hiring and training staff. Staff members are the most valuable asset; you want to make sure that you select the right people the first time around, otherwise you just create more work down the road."
To keep the project on track, Meyers utilized an operating plan with key tasks and deadlines and led weekly plan of action/milestone meetings.
"I think we had 40-plus key tasks, and each task was assigned to an individual or specific department with a target completion date," Meyers said. "Everyone knew their role and deadlines, so I think that itself was critical to opening on time and meeting our mission."
Although six recruitment actions were submitted, only one new staff member was on board when the facility opened.
MWR staff assumed multiple roles not required of their assigned positions, including operating cash registers, manning stations on the service line, and assisting with daily food preparation and clean-up. To ensure food safety and sanitation, all involved employees completed ServSafe training in food sanitation and health standards.
Gibson said it was special how the team rallied together to meet their goal.
"We had team members helping that typically work in the fitness center, the ticket/gift shop, Centre Perk, you name it - they were supporting the operation and working in the cafeteria until we could get it fully staffed," Gibson said. "They made it happen, with positive attitudes and no complaints."
In addition to Meyers, the MWR team members included the Centre Perk Cafe manager, MWR marketing manager, fitness center manager, sports specialist and a recreation assistant/fitness class instructor.
Hickox said in the last two weeks before the facility's opening, the Centre Bistro team worked 12-hour days to prepare.
"We were arriving at 5:30 or 6 a.m. in the dark and leaving after 6 p.m., often in the same darkness - but I made it a point to work with them in their space, share the experience, stay positive, keep the momentum going and be the team's biggest cheerleader throughout the process," Hickox said.
Hickox said every team member went beyond their usual responsibilities to contribute to the operation - from designing menus and setting up inventory and cost cards to fine-tuning line flow for limited staffing and making menu display placements. Kitchen equipment was already in place, but employees moved and reorganized some of it.
Meeting the aggressive 90-day deadline was challenging, but Hickox said she never doubted it could be done.
"This situation was unique because it demanded a short-term sacrifice, not just for a day, but for 90 days leading up to the opening and 60 days afterward," Hickox said. "I knew it would be a rewarding experience, especially for our junior managers, who gained invaluable hands-on experience and a valuable growth opportunity."
Nathan Dickerson, a 23-year-old food and beverage operations manager, managed the Centre Perk Café on DSCR for less than a year when he began assisting with Centre Bistro.
Dickerson trained new food and beverage employees and managed daily operations while staying updated on administrative procedures, inventories and key metrics. He helped reduce waste and increase revenue to ensure the Centre Bistro met its required profit margin.
Dickerson said training new employees in cafeteria operations was a challenge, given that he had less than a year of managerial experience then.
"I think training the team was difficult because not only was I training them, but I was training myself," Dickerson said. "I have a past supervisory background, but management is a whole other field."
He added that he knew the facility opening was only the beginning and that he had to be resilient.
"Something I have always lived by is just not giving up," Dickerson said. "One of the things that I have said to myself a lot is myself a lot is 'I'm not done yet; there's always going to be something else.' There will always be something else to keep pushing, and hard work will be part of that. That's what my parents ingrained into me at a young age."
During the first 90 days of their opening, Centre Bistro hosted several installation-wide events funded by the Civilian Welfare Fund, including Mardi Gras, Diversity Day and a Patriotic Picnic.
Though others doubted that they would be able to meet their deadline, Hickox said she always believed in the team's ability to succeed.
"I believed in us," Hickox said. "The team really came together. Their resilience was just amazing to see."