“We are very satisfied with our start”

“Fusion meal & coffee” is a lively place. At lunchtimes, almost all of the 572 seats are occupied, the tables packed with groups of students and ETH employees in animated conversation. Others prefer to eat alone and quietly read a newspaper. Following the conversion, there is now enough space for everyone.

Hansruedi Heer has been serving guests in the new restaurant since mid-February. So it’s time for the Restaurant Manager from the catering company Compass to take stock. “We are very satisfied with our first semester. We sell 1,800 meals every lunchtime.” Classics such as schnitzel and fries or cordon bleu are particularly popular, as are Asian dishes from the Pot & Spoon station and vegetarian meals. People who attach great importance to healthy nutrition can opt for the “ell” menu, which stands for “eat, learn, live”. Every dish is a fully-fledged, nutritious meal of about 600 calories. The home-made ice tea and the water flavoured with herbs and fruits also go down very well.

Problems with the dishwashing system

One problem in the new canteen in recent months has been the tray clearing system: the belt which conveys the trays with the dirty dishes to the dishwashing machine kept getting stuck, resulting in backlogs.

Following these initial difficulties, the situation has now been improved, says Hansruedi Heer. “The system can clear approximately a third more trays per hour. However, it is still very prone to faults: if someone stacks two trays on top of each other or fails to remove a serviette, problems can still arise.” For this reason, Heer has employed someone to monitor tray returns on a continuous basis.

Popular desserts

The restaurant is divided into two parts. Once guests are finished with their main course in the “Fusion meal” section on the first floor, they can round off their break in “Fusion coffee” on the ground floor. “The coffee and the sweet pastries are very popular,” says Heer. “And the recently introduced frozen yogurts with a topping of the customer’s choice are selling extremely well, too.”

The students present like the new restaurant. “I think it’s great that we can pay by credit card and that there is a microwave. This means that groups can eat together even if some of them have brought their own food,” says a civil engineering student who has just finished his lunch. “The café on the lower floor is also fantastic. I especially like the high tables with the bar chairs.” The 22-year-old student has noticed that the tray clearing system is getting better and better. His friend adds: “I like the fact that there are many different meals on offer. The area with the Coop products makes the range even more varied.” And with that, they head off to enjoy their dessert.