Vendors at the Picard Food Court in Portsmouth, which serves patrons at Ross University, are confident that production will remain at satisfactory levels despite rumors that they have suffered one of the harshest semesters yet and the fact new entities have sprung up in the vicinity of their market.
They believe that in spite of challenges, which include the lack of a sitting and dining area and a covering to shelter waiting patrons, the standard of service and their food products will stay high.
“A lot of the rumors are related to the attitude of some of the vendors as well as some of their hygiene habits, and you know how it is that sort of reputation affects all,” one vendor told Dominica News Online.
Former President of the Picard Food Court Co-operative, Abraham James, explained that the rumors are mostly based on a few vendors reluctance to upgrade the quality of their services.
“If some of the vendors would step up to the plate, we’d find an even fairer place in the market,” Mr. James expounded.
He mentioned that there is a need for a better understanding of the market and patrons. James cited numerous advantages available to the food court vendors, including one-on-one contact with customers which he said other entities may not enjoy.
He went on to point out that the answer to any prevailing problems is not to blame any of the other entities in the locality, but to co-operate with each other to create an even better experience for the students and other patrons.
James went on to speak of some of the plans that the co-operative has in place to upgrade the facilities and called on Government to assist with technical support and aid in realizing those goals.
MR jAMES IS ACTING, HE IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST PROBLEM ON THE FOOD COURT.
what exactly is the hygiene problem? people not wearing gloves? or not changing gloves when they need too? there are sinks in the shacks…… the gloves thing ussually gets to me , cash and serve food with the same glove on… a nono….. so i’m guessing……..
make up your mind peoplle be prepared to spend a little mor on gloves….and do some decluttering
also certain leftover food should be thrown away period, or give it to a parro or something, stop goving people ……….
no its not just the gloves people talking bout its the up keep of the stalls. the places look black and dirty and not properly cleaned. my god people dont we know how to use a can of paint, if it cant ne wiped out then repaint it.sometimes the plce just doesn’t look like somewhere where property hygein is practiced.thats all.
“The Shacks” as they’re called by most everyone are doing FINE. Ross is NOT leaving a couple of years, and the students almost don’t have a CHOICE but to go there.
One note: there is no seating there and Ross won’t let non-students use their tables. Suggest to put tables and seats somewhere at the food court.
I just want to say as someone who is American and is pretty much forced to eat at the shacks. The shacks are an awful place and finally those lazy shack owners are realizing that you have to have hygiene standards and a quality product and is a smile to much to ask? No Sh*t we are choosing better places to eat, you guys are lazy and soon all of she shacks with the exception of the juice shack will be out of business. I am glad I never have to eat there again.
So stupid typical American going to some one elses country with your superiority complex. Perhaps the vendors dont smile because your rude and obnoxious as only Amerivans can be…. Just a thought
no people at the shacks dont smile to the students because they have no business ethics. stupid D dont be biased, most of the americans are nice friendly people,yes some are stuck up and fresh, but i know for a fact they are friendly an always approach to buy wt a smile. (be it fake or real). we as dominicans i can say for a fact don’t know how to give good service, at all.ive heard that been said in and out of dominica.and on the food pavillon some vendors get it some just dont, no smile, no gratitude to their customers just nothin. and not just their most of the places u go to buy in dominica treat u like, who the hell is u when u come to buy and dont make u feel like comin back to their business. especially if the persons selling to u are employed their.bitter employees who just dont care bout improving ur business. but thats another story.when u smile to ur customers it makes them feel welcomed appreciated and satisfied. they keep comin back even if the product not all that they come cause u treat them well. so at the food pavillon some vendors really need to step it up and dont just expect that they selling so people must come to buy.
@ typical american….
I do not understand what you mean by you are ‘pretty much forced’ to eat at the shacks. Aren’t there ample food places in Picard? Are you trying to say that there is in the fine print of your acceptance at Ross that you MUST buy at the food court? Perhaps before you go flying off you should realise that you americans are not the only patrons of the ross food court. Dominicans come from near and far just to purchase food there. It is YOUR CHOICE to choose your place of eating. Just as we Dominicans will choose to eat at the food court.And might I just add that the standards of food places in your homeland are of questionable character itself.
I just want to stress that we are not all ‘typical’ when it comes to being an American, and while proud to be one I am looking forward to living in a place where the veggie’s are fresh, the fish is fresh, the fruits are fresh and we are finally supporting our community and not the chains of frozen food restaurants we are plagued with in America. Dear Typical American, please do not throw us all under the bus, this American is going to love nothing more than enjoying the local fare of Dominica served by the locals and supporting the locals…… after all, it is their country that we are lucky enough to become a part of, IF WE SO CHOOSE! Sounds to me like you need to get back to the good ol’ US of A and enjoy your McDonalds, Wendy’s, and Taco Time and stop making a bad name for the rest of us in Dominica! It makes me sad when I see the slam on the ‘American’s’ we are NOT all like this one, I promise you that!!
No one asked you to eat at the shaks, you foolish man/woman; i doubt you are even american, you must be one of those ole haitian/affarican students who want to come at the shacks and bully people, you guys want people food for nofing, you always dont have enough money, the ATM is always out, jsut to name a few of yur complaints; the vendors at the shack dont get that kind of complaints from the typical Americans, they come, order their foods, pay for it and move on and they do come again, so please dont use the name of typical american, you are one of those “come to americans”
Well i am from England and stayed in Possie (picard) last year and this year, and later on in the year i’ll be visiting again with friends and all i can say is i have no problem with the Picard Food Court..The food and drink taste better then some of the restaurants that i have been to in DA, considering its only a food court..Also prices are cheap and cheerful.. Keep it up im sure business will prevail more xxxx
IF ROSS LEAVE HOPE DOMINICAN ARE PREPARE WE ARE SO LAY BACK THEY BUILD SO MUCH APARTMENT AND NO ONE INVEST IN ANY ENTERTAINMENT FOR THE STUDENT IT WILL COST STUDENT LESS MONEY TO GO TO SCHOOL IN THE USA ROSS IS NOT A POPULAR SCHOOL IN THE USA MOST OF THE STUDENT GRADUATE FROM ROSS CANNOT EVEN GET JOBS THAT IS FACTS HOW LONG YOU THINK STUDENT WILL COME TO ROSS PAY ALL THAT MONEY AND CANNOT GET A JOB. MY DEAR D/CAN EVEN IF YOU SEE ROSS EXPANDING DO NOT LET THAT FOOL YOU AMERICANS HAVE A HABBIT OF FIXING THERE PLACE PUT IT ONLINE FOR SALE AND TELLING THE WORKERS IS NOT TRUE THE PLACE IS NOT FOR SALE WHEN IT SELL THEY CALLING YOU FOR BAD NEWS.PLEASE BE PREPARE FOR ALL THE TRICKS INVESTORS PLAY DO NOT HANG YOUR HOPE ON ANY COMPANY EVERY ONE IS ALL ABOUT MAKING MONEY PLEASE BE READY FOR THE REAL WORLD IT SI HAPPENING ALL OVER THE USA.
Did you have a conversation with Dr Ross?
The fact are clear ;Ross will be out of Da in a couple of years.In the USA there is a plan afoot to have what they term commonwealth schools to replace offshore medical schools. An Ross is in the path of that change.So efforts to up grade will not derail their plans.
They won’t be replacing off-shore schools they will competing with off-shore schools.
Ross won’t be going anywhere in a hurry, business in Dominica is too good.
Not to mention it’s probably cheap to be here for them.
Ross just expanded this year with the opening of a new classroom facility. So y wud they have made such an investment if this “closure” is already in the making????
Because in the U.S when a new facility is built it’s almost a sure sign that they’re going to shut down. Once funds are allocated for a project they spend it whether or not it makes sense to us.
Have you ever BEEN to the States to know this? Ross would NOT spend all that money to expand and move people, only to leave in a couple years. There would be no point.
HMMMMM ,I HAVE EATEN A FEW TIMES AND THE FOOD WAS GREAT LOVE THE BA-B-Q BONE LESS CHICKEN AND JUICE FROM THE JUICE MAN ,DO ALL U CAN GUYS TO KEEP UP THAT PLACE BECASUE WHEN AM IN POSSIE THATS MY PLACE OF EATTIN
Mr James I am glad that you stated some of you need to step up to the plate and you mentioned about the hygeine… because the way some of the vendors keep their themselves and the surroundings is a disgrace . and embarassment which not only affects the community but the country by extension. Because when the customers receive bad service or eat a meal that was not properly prepared or purchased from an untidy shack.. trust me the news spread like wild fire through word of mouth and blogs !
I think if there is a committee in place , there should be standards in place to govern the place as to hygeine , customer service etc. and if ppl fail to comply then there should be a penalty..
It would be best if all vendors coperate and try to maintain a positive image!
BOY AND U WILL NOT BELIEVE IFM I TELL U FOOD THAT WAS PREPARED THE DAY BEFORE WAS WARMED AND SOLD TO ME WITHOUT MY KNOWING A FEW MONTHS AGO. LATER IN THE DAY I MADE A FEW GOOD HOURS ON THE TOILET. I TRIED TO RECOLLECT WHAT I ATE DURING THE DAY AND THAT WAS THE ONLY THING I COULD THINK ABOUT THAT MESSED UP MY STOMACH. IM NOT BUYING THERE AGAIN AND IM NOT GOING TO MENTION FROM WHICH STALL I BOUGHT THE FOOD FROM.
you damn lie…food is prepared on a daily basis at that place… your loos bowels is probably from eating blue clax chocolate…sh*t your heart out.
huh sounds like a “shack attack”. sorry to say but thats common on the food pavillon. the ross stdents were the one to give it the name, “shack attack”. the vendors just dont realise that when they give poor service and bad food that they damage things for themselves. and when persons decide not to buy from them again they get angry ,but at the end of the day that place just need to be shut down, redone or get a seriouse face lift and reopened. new rules be put into place and who does not comply with them then be sent out. we need to raise our food providers standards in dominica.
my god how can you suggest any of these shacks are untidy when they must meet the high standars set by ross. so you is one of the ptc people that trying to take bread from our mouth but thanks for the suggestions anyway we already practicing some of it but it neva too early to learn you know. anyway we want our satificate of title so we can upgrade our place edinson james and rosie douglas had promise it to us when they did be in government… so tell them people to give us our right insted of lambasting us…