Hubert was contacted by Ball State University to assist in renovating Woodworth Commons Dining Hall. Our task was to source and/or design updated smallwares, signage and décor to coordinate with the new interior finishes and nine different dining themes, staying within budget and on schedule.

1. Customer Spotlight:
Ball State University
Ball State University is a state-assisted
university located in Muncie, Indiana, one hour
northeast of Indianapolis. The student body includes
more than 20,000 undergraduate and graduate students.
The Project:
Source and/or design updated
smallwares, signage and décor to coordinate
with the new interior finishes and nine different
dining themes, staying within budget and on schedule.
Selecting and designing Smallwares, Signage and
Décor for the new Woodworth Commons Dining Hall
AFTER
What drove the decision
to renovate the dining hall?
Jon: With a new residence hall being built, there was a need
to upgrade. Housing and dining are seen as a total package,
so it makes sense to upgrade both of them at the same time.
Amy: It needed a facelift to be brought up to the
same level as the new housing. When a student tours
a campus, it leaves them with an overall favorable impression.
How does the new
design differ from the old one?
Liz: It was mainly white and gray with a lot of stainless
steel and an old-fashioned cafeteria-style tray rail. It
was a clean, institutional-look. The style was big and bulky
with square rooms and a segregated design. The ceilings were low.
Amy: Now there is a wow factor when anyone walks in here.
Why did you trust Hubert to help you
with the design of your new dining hall?
BEFORE
Liz: We used to shop from the Hubert catalog and buy décor items
piecemeal from retail stores. But Hubert has everything in one place,
so we decided to save time by using them to help us select the right
items. The consolidation of vendors was a real time saver for us.
What was your biggest obstacle
and how did Hubert help you with that?
Liz: The biggest design problem is selecting the décor
pieces and tying them all together for a cohesive look.
Amy: Making it all flow was a challenge. We would
have spent at least four weeks driving around to retail
stores trying to find the right décor items, and in the end,
we still wouldn’t be happy with them. Finding the right items
with the right scale for the space was very difficult. All of Hubert’s
things work together for a cohesive look and are available in largescale so they work with the higher ceiling and more open floor plan.
Amy: Finding smallwares for large
volume foodservice—the right size food pans, for
example, can be tricky. But Nancy helped us with all of that.
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Riverside
Emporium
Customer contacts: Jon Lewis, Director, BSU Dining
Elizabeth (Liz) Poore, Assistant Director of Operations, BSU Dining
Amy Grasso, Unit Manager, Woodworth Commons, BSU Dining
Hubert Account Development Manager: Nancy Lane

2. What was the main
benefit of working with Hubert?
Amy: One-stop shopping and enormous variety
really saved time. The personal attention from Nancy
made us feel like our project was always on schedule
and details were worked out. The volume discount of
course, and the product guarantee reassured us.
What is the most important
daypart and/or dining concept?
Amy: Lunch is the most important daypart and c-store is a key concept.
Portability is important. Many times, students only have time to eat on
the run, so food needs to be portable and available quickly. The c-store
offers food during off-hours to accommodate student schedules.
At what point in your
planning process did you involve Hubert?
Liz: One year ahead. Once we got the color boards from the general contractor, we began to develop ideas for smallwares and décor pieces that
would coordinate with the new interior color scheme. Nancy invited us
to Hubert to tour the Center for Creative Merchandising (CCM) so we
could see the actual products in use.
When you visited the CCM at Hubert,
what were your first impressions? How did you
find that visit helpful to you in making your selections?
Liz: I don’t think we would have purchased as many
items if I had to do it straight from the catalog. I would
have purchased about half as much. Seeing the products displayed
and inside the actual cases made a big difference. I’m a visual person.
I have to see it and get my hands on it to get the ideas in my mind.
Signage was a critical piece of the project.
Signage tends to be an awkward part. It is hard to spec
and hard to price out for bids. Hubert handled all of it with
Shaw, the signage manufacturer. All of our signage was custom,
so it was quite a job. It was a real relief to have Nancy handle that for us.
What areas
of the dining
hall did you want
to redesign and/or
what new programs
did you want to
implement?
Amy: Display
Riverside
cooking was a
Emporium
very important thing
to convey freshness and to increase student interaction in their food choices.
Liz: We wanted to create a lot of the
“kitchen” in the front of the house–that’s a big trend.
We also wanted a 24-hour lounge, a space for students to
gather that would foster a sense of community at Woodworth Commons.
Where did you begin? Can you
describe the process of working with Nancy?
Amy: The different menu concepts were
developed prior to meeting with the architects so
we knew the themes. We took the color boards to Nancy
to help us find the right finishing touches and smallwares for
each concept based on our color scheme and overall atmosphere.
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3. How long did the process selection take?
Amy: We spent 2 days at Hubert
choosing all décor and smallwares to be
used in each area. A lot of attention to detail
at this time really paid off. When we returned
I was able to concentrate on getting the building
open and Nancy coordinated everything from
there. The product arrived sorted by skid and we
were able to pull it off the skid and take it straight
to each concept area. This saved a lot of time sorting.
How did you make your product selections?
Amy: During our visit to Hubert’s CCM,
we selected the products we liked, plus
Nancy’s recommendations were a huge help.
Did your project require any
custom products? If so, what were they
and how did Hubert help manage that process?
Jon: The shelving in the
c-store and all the signage were
custom pieces. The shelving units
were custom stained to match existing
shelving for a cohesive look. Again, Hubert
coordinated that stain with the manufacturer.
Did you select any
Hubert Brand items?
If so, which ones? Why?
Jon: Yes. We chose
the Hubert Brand chafers for our catering events
in the President’s suite at the stadium. We took them for a
test drive and found them to be very good quality for the price.
Amy: Yes, we chose the Panaramic pieces for our
Italian station, Balti pans and double-walled bowls for
Deli World, Hubert tiles for the bakery cart and the decorative
banners along with some other décor pieces. We ended up getting
these items for a good price since they were Hubert exclusive brands.
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4. Amy: Nancy helped us set up for the grand opening.
Planograms helped tremendously so we knew where
everything went inside the cases and out. If we hadn’t
had the planograms, we would have been hurting.
Deli World:
Specialty create-yourown sandwiches and salads
Spinning Salad Station:
Fresh made-to-order salads
built from a deli-style case
tossed in homemade dressings.
El Fire Dragon:
Rotates from Asian fare to
Mexican fare different days
of the week. Large Mongolian
grill sets the stage in this area.
How did Hubert help with the
Grand Opening of the dining hall?
Liz: Nancy came and helped uncrate, unbox and set up things.
Amy: It’s rare to find people who will
come in and help you in the crunch like that.
Grab and Go Fresh Express:
Variety of Italian and
Asian grab and go products
featured at the Italian
and Asian stations.
Comfort Zone:
Homestyle Comfort
Foods such as chicken and
dumplings, ham and
au gratin potatoes
and meatloaf.
What type of feedback/response
are you getting from students?
Amy: It’s been very positive. They like to
come here and hang out and I also think
they appreciate the variety of food available.
Island Fresh Express:
American-style grab
and go sandwiches, salads,
fruit cups and dessert cups.
Dellacasa:
Italian cuisine featuring
pizza from a Woodstone
Oven. The Tuscan Table
features homemade lasagna,
oven roasted vegetables, pasta
with sauces, meatballs, Italian
sausage, grilled chicken breast
and stromboli and Italian
sausage sandwiches.
Woody’s Grill:
Charbroiled hamburgers,
hot dogs, chili cheese
fries, and onion rings.
Riverside Emporium:
Grocery store area
featuring snacks, baked
items, health foods, fresh
fruit, and personal care items.
Beverage Stations:
Features brewed iced
tea, fountain machines,
Starbucks coffee and a large
assortment of bottled beverages.
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Patisseries:
Features desserts and
pastries along with an espresso
machine for specialty drinks.
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How do you measure the success of the project?
Menu Concepts:
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Liz: Nancy stayed in touch every week
with status updates on our order. She met
deadlines and was very good at follow-up, very on-task.
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What were the benefits of working
with your Hubert Account Manager?
Jon: When the President and Vice
President like it and they bring guests in to show
them, you’re in good shape. It’s a showpiece now.
Is there anything you wish you had done differently?
Amy: No. We plan to switch out seasonal
signage banners to indicate a change of seasons,
but that’s really all we’ll change. We want to keep that
hotel-resort type, classy feel that Hubert helped us create.
What the Students Say
Vicki Loera: I love coming here. It reminds
me of Starbucks. There are better choices at this
dining hall with the healthy choices. Plus you can
buy a half-gallon of milk and other things in the store.
It’s ten times better than the other places on campus.
Kate Barton: It’s like a café. It doesn’t feel like a cafeteria—it feels homey.
I like the carpeting, the colors and the sofas. There are lots of places to sit and
more room to breathe. It’s not loud like other dining halls that are overrun by
sound. You can still hear your music in here. Or you can come and watch TV or
even study in the lounge area. There are way better choices for food here, too.
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