MARINE CORPS LOGISTIC BASE BARSTOW, Calif. -- For Fiscal Year 05, Lanzer’s Lounge, located on Maintenance Center Barstow, has been recognized by the Marine Corps Community Services’ Food and Hospitality Branch by receiving the food and hospitality excellence award.
The award is given to clubs, snack bars, mobiles and lodging that exceed standards for customer service, finances, employee care, operations and options provided to customers.
Since new management has arrived at the Lanzer’s Lounge, the restaurant slowly went from being a money losing service into a money making food provider, said Herbert Wagner, Food and Hospitality Supervisor.
“About this time last year, we were at an $8,300 loss. Now we’re at about a $16,000 gain. That’s about a $24,000 turnaround,” Wagner said.
The main reason for the turnaround is attributed to the efforts of Mercedes Garcia, food and hospitality operations manager, who became the Lanzer’s Lounge manager in June 2005, Wagner noted.
Before beginning work at the lounge, Garcia spent time working at fast food restaurants and for the Army Air Force Exchange Service, she said. It was during this time that she gained experience on the specifics of operating a business.
Despite her experience, when Garcia heard that she was going to be running a food provider that had a considerably large deficit, she wasn’t very excited.
“When they showed me their numbers, and I saw that the restaurant was in the hole, it was scary, because the expectations were very high,” Garcia said.
However, despite the numbers, Garcia was able to turn the restaurant into a valuable asset for the base, said Wagner.
The main factor that helped change the restaurant into a positive cash flow entity was communication, said Garcia. By listening to what customers wanted, listening to input from employees and telling employees exactly what she expected from them, Garcia turned the restaurant into what it is today. Some of the changes that Garcia made were adding food items to the menu, she said.
“Now there’s a variety of food, and it is a combination of fast food and healthy food,” Garcia mentioned.
Originally, the Lanzer’s Lounge was a snack shack type place that only sold junk food, Garcia said. Now there are salads, fresh fruits, pastas and pre-made meal plates that are tasty and healthy.
Garcia said that the lounge is going to be able to deliver orders to employees that work outside of Bldg. 573 soon. Hopefully, the delivery of meals is going to help with the lunch-time rush.
Due to a complete change in operations, the Lanzer’s Lounge was able to receive an excellence award, Wagner said. At the same time, if it was not for communication, the lounge would not have been able to achieve such an award, said Garcia.