Want to be a Mystery Diner?

Nick Antonicci studied the spanakopita, yogurt and hummus in the display case of Gussy's Greek Devil food cart and then poked the oranges and pomegranates in baskets near the cash register. 

"How much are the pomegranates?" he asked.

"Just $2," said Gus Megaloudis, owner of the food cart.

Megaloudis didn't know it, but his food cart was under close scrutiny. Antonicci, assistant director for the Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity, was reviewing the spot as a "mystery diner" for Duke Dining. 

Antonicci is one of dozens of students, faculty and staff who volunteer to visit the 30 eateries on campus to measure the quality of food and service. Several times a week, Antonicci eats in a new location, filling out a customer care review form to rate customer service, speed of service, food quality, cleanliness, food options and atmosphere from "excellent" to "poor." The cover as mystery diner is blown only when a volunteer gives his or her rating sheet to the eatery manager and pays for the meal with a voucher from Duke Dining Services. 

"Honest feedback can make the difference between dining at Duke being good and being excellent," said Tammy Hope, quality assurance manager for Duke Dining. 

Because a mystery diner rates each eatery only once, Hope is always recruiting new volunteers. Once someone signs up, she meets personally with the interested participant to explain the process, determine availability and make the first assignment. Schedules are variable, but most volunteers visit one or two locations each week and rotate between breakfast, lunch and dinner. After the first assignment, volunteers receive a new assignment when they return a copy of the rating sheet to the dining office. 

"If you volunteer for long enough, you'll get to eat at all 30 locations," Hope said. 

Antonicci started as a mystery diner at the beginning of the academic year and visits a few locations each week. On a recent visit to the Greek Devil food cart, he ordered European Pita and Authentic Greek Frappe and sat in the sun on the plaza to explore his meal and rate the experience. 

He gave the Greek Devil high marks for speed, cleanliness and taste and noted the convenience for a grab-and-go meal of having extras such as fresh tomatoes and lettuce served in plastic containers. He suggested making vegetarian option symbols on the menu more visible and labeling food in the display case more clearly. 

"I had to ask what a few things were, but I got all the answers I needed," Antonicci wrote.

While the reviews give real-time feedback to the manager on duty, Dining Services also tracks the feedback and shares trends with individual eateries throughout the year. Dining managers have been receptive to the program, said Hope, adding that the feedback has resulted in changes such as increased vegan options.

Antonicci, whose office is in the Bryan Center, said the program has exposed him to dining options such as Dolce Vita in the French Family Science Building and the Pitchfork Provisions in McClendon Tower.

"It helps me stay in touch," he said. "Food is a huge part of the campus experience, and I'm happy to be part of making it better."