A pasta bar should let diners put their meal together to suit their own taste. At the University of Konstanz, guests used to be able to help themselves to cheese. That appears to have changed: the cheese is now portioned out, and according to one diner, only a small amount ends up on the pasta.
The photo shows a full serving of pasta and sauce with a comparatively modest amount of cheese on top. Anyone who wants less can simply take less. Anyone who wants more appears to have lost that choice. A pasta bar where diners cannot decide how much cheese they want takes away an unnecessary bit of freedom.
Less choice at lunchtime
The diner also reports that second helpings are no longer available with the Seezeit-Teller. The tap where guests could get drinking water for free has, according to the same observation, been out of order for several semesters.
Each restriction may seem small on its own. Taken together, they give the impression that the canteen is becoming less generous and less welcoming in more and more ways. This is not about luxury: it is about being able to choose what goes on a meal, take a little more when needed and drink water for free.
Better service is not a luxury
If portioning the cheese is meant to prevent food waste, there is a simple solution: serve a small amount first and offer more on request. A uniformly small portion takes the choice away from everyone. And a drinking-water tap that remains out of order for several semesters should be repaired or replaced with a reliable alternative.
Seezeit should explain what has changed
Seezeit and the university should explain why diners can no longer help themselves to cheese, why second helpings are no longer available with the Seezeit-Teller and when the drinking-water tap will work again. Above all, they should review these restrictions. Students should not be left with the impression that every small improvement to the food and the campus dining experience is gradually disappearing.