Dining changes begin June 1

  • Published
  • By Lois Walsh
  • Team Eglin Public Affairs
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  If you're a meal card holder, June 1 is an important date to remember.

That is the day the Breeze Dining Facility will close for renovations as part of an Air Force-wide Food Transformation Initiative.

In August, 2012, the Air Force awarded Sodexo the contract to conduct food operations at several bases, including Eglin. The goal is to provide a better dining experience for Airmen by improving the quality and variety of food service.

Dorm residents will see a change to their paycheck June 15 when a basic allowance for substance, or BAS, is added to their pay. That money will allow Airmen to "choose to eat wherever they want and whatever they want, until the dining facility is back on line, and their meal card entitlement is restored," said Capt. Julie Teffeteller, 96th Force Support Squadron Sustainment Services Flight Commander.

Sodexo is currently operating food services at Legends, the Bayview Club, bowling alley and golf course. A temporary alternate feeding location will be established at Crossroads, co-located in the building housing Legends, for former meal card holding Breeze patrons. Meals, served buffet style, will be available the same hours the Breeze currently operates.

"This is to facilitate the need for accessible meals because everyone doesn't have a vehicle," said Chief Master Sgt. Nyron Alexander, 96th Force Support Squadron Sustainment Services Flight Superintendent.

The Breeze renovations are projected for completion in October. Then, all Sodexo-operated food service facilities will fall under the food transformation umbrella when campus dining comes on line. Part of the enhanced food operations includes expanding readiness training to Airmen who feed the force both at home or during deployment operations. Airmen currently working at the Breeze will be immersed in other operations within 96 FSS during renovations.

Noteworthy changes at the Breeze will be the addition of a Mongolian wok, expanded sandwich bar and themed meals and ethnic trends.

"Currently we operate within the AF World Wide Menu Preface; since we will be working with the contractor, we'll have other options, including a master chef, who will really expand the menu with gourmet cuisine. Under the campus dining experience, we will target all the demographics with total food choices," the Chief said.

Alexander said food transformation is an important initiative for not just dorm residents.

"It is a quality of life initiative to provide a better dining experience for our Airmen," he said. "Everyone must eat, we feed the fight."

The 33rd Fighter Wing dining facility continues to be open for authorized personnel only. 96th Test Wing Airmen are not permitted to eat in this facility.

"The overall objective of FTI is to better meet essential station messing and our service member needs by modernizing food service, which will transform appropriated funded and non-appropriated funded feeding capabilities into a campus dining concept similar to those found on university campuses," Alexander said.

The Breeze will celebrate a grand reopening under the Food Transformation Initiative on or about Oct. 1. They will offer a robust option of feeding platforms under the "campus style" feeding concept.

"At that time, anyone with access to the installation including officers, civilians, contractors, dependents and retirees will be able to dine at the Bayview, Legends, Breeze and Golf Course," Teffeteller said.