Comment Card

They took away my grilled cheese at lunch!

Every day I get a cup of tomato based soup and a grilled cheese sandwich for dipping and general enjoyment.

Then Tuesday I come to lunch at 12:45 like normal and the dude behind the counter says, "Now, I can't get you grilled cheese no more!"

"What?" I grin at him. I am sure he's joking.

"I can't make grilled cheese any more. I can only make what's on that card up there."

I grin up at the card. I still think he's pulling my leg, and grilled cheese will be up there. ...but no grilled cheese. 

"Are you serious right now?!" 

I walk toward the hot entree side where there are steaming trays of meatloaf, macaroni, and mashed potatoes behind the glass. I stand there. Because someone is required to serve the stuff, usually.

"What's wrong?" Another dining employee who usually greets me has moved around to the hot entree side.

"They took away my grilled cheese!?"

"Yup," he says, picking up a plate from the side table. "And guess what else, this is self-serve."

I suddenly look down and notice that there are spoons sticking out of everything. ...Damn. 

I feel stupid. I throw my soup into the trash before paying for it, and walk toward the parking elevator, and then my car. 

When I get back to work, the heading on the Dining newsletter is as follows: "Dining Facility Gets Back to Basics." Apparently a "Back to Basics" menu has been instated to give customers less choices and streamline the dining process. It is now easier to order the Basic lunch that is much cheaper by comparison to area restaurants.

The newsletter then listed ridiculously over-priced area lunch spots and compared them to a similar lunch in the dining facility.

Still, the price of a candy bar had gone up by 50% and a sandwich had jumped up by a whole dollar. I was a little bit mad.

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Comments?

How can you not put two pieces of bread together with cheese in the middle and grill it? I don't even care if the cost increases! Bring back my grilled cheese!

"Back to Basics?" How much more basic can you get than cheese and bread?

Also, with limited contact to service personnel due to the increase in self-service selection, I feel more like a cow among cattle than a person having the unique and homey dining experience I enjoyed before. 

In short, you won't see me in the dining area any more. Have fun serving (or preparing the self-service of) the even fewer number of people who still feel like eating there. 

I kinda felt like I was writing a congress speech. 

Still, though, they're not bringing grilled cheese back. When they serve "old fashioned" tomato soup, I may cry.