In today’s class, we reflected on our recent field trip to the Hamilton Restaurant in downtown Carlisle. We discussed how the owner, Tom Mazias can create a friendly and nostalgic place for his customer base through his small restaurant and the personal relationships he made with recurring Dickinson alumni customers. This nostalgia comes from the restaurant having the same menu the older alumni had when they attended Dickinson. His dedication to having an unchanging restaurant is also seen in his employees, some of whom have been working there for around 40 years. Wow!
Our class discussion transitioned to comparing Dickinson Dining Hall’s and the restaurant’s customer bases. One of the main things we discussed was their different business models. Hamilton Restaurant focuses on its loyal customers through nostalgia and preserving heritage, while the dining hall focuses on student preferences with a changing menu. The Insider Higher Ed surveyed what students want in their dining hall experience. They found that “students emphasized a desire for accessibility, selection in food options and technology that aids in their dining experience” (Mowreader, 2024). For the Dickinson dining hall, there isn’t a way for the students to easily give feedback to the staff about the food and their experience. This differs significantly from my previous college, where there was an accessible way to provide feedback and even displayed student comments on their experience.
Talley, M. (2021, June 20). Destination Carlisle unveils New Historical Marker at Hamilton Restaurant. abc27 news. https://www.abc27.com/local-news/carlisle-west-shore/destination-carlisle-unveils-new-historical-marker-at-hamilton-restaurant/
I could not attend the visit to the Hamilton restaurant, so I couldn’t see how Tom Mazias ran it, but I do have experience working at a family-run bakery back home. What we discussed about the restaurant was similar to what I also remember noticing at the bakery. From what I know, the bakery has had the same items since it opened, with some new items added occasionally. Working at the bakery, I noticed that we had many recurring customers who I hear have been going there for years. Because of that, the owners developed personal relationships with them. The customers sometimes gift flowers to the owners and stay and chat with the owners. Sometimes, I have helped customers who got their wedding cake made there and are returning to have their anniversary or their children’s wedding cake made.
Works Cited:
Mowreader, A. (2024, January 17). What college students want from their dining provider. Inside Higher Ed | Higher Education News, Events and Jobs. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/student-success/health-wellness/2024/01/17/what-college-students-want-their-dining-provider