5 things: Wall Street looks for return to offices as pandemic recedes

In this edition of 5 Things, Food Management highlights five things you may have missed recently about developments affecting onsite dining.

Here’s your list for today:

As COVID cases in New York City begin to recede, major Wall Street financial firms have begun ordering their workers back to the office, with most opting for early February as the target date. Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase have notified employees that they are to come back to the office starting February 1 after both delayed their planned January return Citibank parent Citigroup told its New York staff to be prepared to return to the office for at least two days a week starting February 7.

Read more: Wall St orders workers back to the office (again): Citigroup, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase tell employees to return by February after delaying in-person work as Omicron cases surged in New York City

All undergraduate students at Princeton University will have the option to live in their residential colleges for all four years starting this fall, with students who choose to remain in their residential college as upperclassmen not required to purchase board plans, “but may do so if they wish.” This means that students who seek to join eating clubs as upperclassmen may remain in their residential colleges without purchasing a shared meal plan. “The only meal plans that will be available for purchase by upperclassmen will be the Unlimited or Block 105 plans,” Deputy Spokesperson for the University Michael Hotchkiss said in an email.

Related:5 dangerous design flaws to avoid in senior dining

Read more: University to allow all upperclassmen to remain in their residential colleges, regardless of dining affiliations

During an extensive conversation with NPR, noted office designer Clive Wilkinson says he envisions a transformation in office design away from a "cubicle farm" model that will only result in vast areas of empty desks in the emerging hybrid workplace culture and toward more of a "boutique hotel" feel with big, open spaces with couches, cozy nooks and outdoor spaces where it's easy to hang out and chat. "We're having very interesting conversations with a lot of clients right now about 'Does the office need to be a bunch of project rooms? Does it need to be one huge cafeteria?'" he remarked. "We're now building a lot of Zoom rooms, which is something we never did before". Wilkinson, one of the most sought-after office designers in the world, has planned spaces for the likes of Microsoft, Disney, Intuit and, perhaps most famously, Google's Googleplex headquarters in Mountain View, Calif.

Related:5 things: Students looking for meal plan relief as colleges extend remote learning

Read more: Why Googleplex Architect Says Luxury On-Site Perks are 'Dangerous'

Via 313 Pizzeria, a restaurant concept specializing in Detroit-style pizza, is set to open its first San Antonio location in late March in the South Texas Medical Center. In addition to its signature pies, the Austin-based chain menus salads, appetizers and desserts as well as bar-style pizzas that are defined by their extra-thin and crispy round crusts. In a related development indicating the attraction of major medical campuses for commercial foodservice operators, California-based burrito chain Stuffed opened a location just south of the Medical Center.

Read more: Detroit-style, Austin-based pizza chain Via 313 Pizzeria to open location in San Antonio in Medical Center this spring

The Altenheim continuing care community in Louisville has contracted with FM Top 50 firm Culinary Services Group to provide an enhanced restaurant-style dining program for its residents and something that it hopes will also attract new residents to the historic campus. As the senior housing market has become more competitive, especially following COVID, “we recognized the need to make a larger investment in our dining program,” comments Altenheim Administrator Dana Gravitt. The new operation will include restaurant style service in the formal dining room with food stations set up throughout the space. The Altenheim is CSG's first location in Kentucky, marking its 14th state of operation.

Read more: The Altenheim Invests in a New Dining Program

Bonus: New Loma Linda Health cafeteria a highlight of institution’s new tower complex

Contact Mike Buzalka at [email protected]