Spring Break
Stein to remain open contrary to rumor among student employees
by Miranda Neubauer
Senior Writer
News | 11/25/08
Posted online at 4:23 AM EST on 11/25/08
Director of Dining Services Mike Newmark denied that The Stein restaurant would close as rumors circulated widely among student employees and the student body that its closing was imminent.
"There is no validity to whatever rumors you may have heard about The Stein closing," he wrote in an e-mail to the Justice. "The Stein is not closing this year."
Stein manager Michael Wiggins declined to comment and referred all questions to Newmark.
Several Stein employees said that a general staff meeting had been announced for last Monday afternoon only to be canceled at the last minute for unknown reasons. Last Wednesday, Stein employee Liana Langdon-Embry '11 said that after asking about the rumors, she was told by The Stein manager that The Stein would not close, but that "there was talk that they were going to, and they just recently decided not to."
On Tuesday, Aaron Reichlin-Melnick '09, who has been a cook at the Stein for four years, said that the official response of upper Stein management was neither to confirm nor deny rumors. He said he was under the impression that there was a 95-percent chance the Stein would close, with the only question being when. "[Closing it] was very clearly under discussion; that has not been denied to me by the upper management," he said.
He said he had heard that managers were told last Friday that the Stein was going to close. Reichlin-Melnick said that he first heard the news "out of nowhere" from co-workers last Sunday night.
Jenna Rubin '11, a Stein employee for two months and co-chair of the University Dining Committee, said last Tuesday that she first heard the rumor from a Stein employee who reportedly heard the information from a manager. "I certainly hope we could be involved in making decisions about making cuts in dining; I would hope that we could talk about cutting back instead of cutting everything," she said. "Shutting down The Stein is somewhat drastic."
She suggested that shift adjustments could be made reflecting the hours when The Stein is busiest. "I usually work on Sunday nights; it does tend to be slow," she said. "But I walked in there today to talk to the manager, and at eight it was fairly crowded."
"There is no validity to whatever rumors you may have heard about The Stein closing," he wrote in an e-mail to the Justice. "The Stein is not closing this year."
Stein manager Michael Wiggins declined to comment and referred all questions to Newmark.
Several Stein employees said that a general staff meeting had been announced for last Monday afternoon only to be canceled at the last minute for unknown reasons. Last Wednesday, Stein employee Liana Langdon-Embry '11 said that after asking about the rumors, she was told by The Stein manager that The Stein would not close, but that "there was talk that they were going to, and they just recently decided not to."
On Tuesday, Aaron Reichlin-Melnick '09, who has been a cook at the Stein for four years, said that the official response of upper Stein management was neither to confirm nor deny rumors. He said he was under the impression that there was a 95-percent chance the Stein would close, with the only question being when. "[Closing it] was very clearly under discussion; that has not been denied to me by the upper management," he said.
He said he had heard that managers were told last Friday that the Stein was going to close. Reichlin-Melnick said that he first heard the news "out of nowhere" from co-workers last Sunday night.
Jenna Rubin '11, a Stein employee for two months and co-chair of the University Dining Committee, said last Tuesday that she first heard the rumor from a Stein employee who reportedly heard the information from a manager. "I certainly hope we could be involved in making decisions about making cuts in dining; I would hope that we could talk about cutting back instead of cutting everything," she said. "Shutting down The Stein is somewhat drastic."
She suggested that shift adjustments could be made reflecting the hours when The Stein is busiest. "I usually work on Sunday nights; it does tend to be slow," she said. "But I walked in there today to talk to the manager, and at eight it was fairly crowded."
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