Harkness Begins New Food Plan, Hopes to End Financial Losses

After a year of financial losses and student complaints about food quality, the management of the Harkness Common Dining Hall has drastically revamped its plans for service in an attempt to keep the Common from closing.

Last year, Harkness- which serves about equal numbers of Law and GSAS students- incurred losses of up to $7000 a month. The loss was divided between the Marriott Corporation- a commercial corporation which runs the food services there- and the Law School and GSAS.

Because Harvard paid its share of the loss from tuition fees- thus penalizing many students who did not use the Common- some administrators, including Derek C. Bok, dean of the Law School, suggested that the facility should be closed if the losses could not be cut.

Over the summer, Marriott transferred management of the dining hall from its, Schools and Colleges division to the Business and Industry section- a unit used to running competitive cafeterias and showing a profit.

The new management is required to make financial reports to Harvard every two weeks. "While I'm not at liberty to mention figures," Chet Kenbod, manager of the dining hall, said yesterday. "I can say that we just about broke even."

The new management inaugurated a 17-meal contract plan which allows students to sign up for three meals a day on weekdays and two on weekends for $28 a week.

The new plan represents a 25 per centincrease over contract prices at this time last year, which allowed 21 meals a week for $21.

However, Kenbok said yesterday that one reason for the complaints over high prices during the Spring of last year was the prices were initially set too low.

In addition, Kenbok said that students on contract could now eat their three meals at any time between 7 a.m. and 11:30 p.m. A cafeteria line is open during regular meal hours, and at other times contract students can eat at the new "Deli-Delite" counter for no extra charge.

The delicatessen counter replaces the a-la-carte cafeteria line. Students not on contract can eat at the contract cafeteria and pay by the item.

Last year, a group called Students for Less Overpricing (SLOP) organized a one-day boycott of the dining hall after the management raised contract prices and stopped selling meal coupon books at a discount of 15 per cent.

Although contract prices have risen and coupon books are being sold at face value, Kenbok said that he had received no complaints so far.

"We really feel that we're giving the students what they want this year," he added.

Kenbok said, however, that Harkness is currently serving only about 1500 to 2000 meals a day. At this time last year, the Common was serving between 2000 and 2500 daily.

In addition, only 150 students have brought contracts so far, as compared with 250 at the same period last year.

"We have to operate at a higher level to keep breaking even," Kenbok said.