As announced by Studierendenwerk Aachen, on Thursday, 15 October, the Mensa Academica and Mensa Vita will re-open their seating areas. Over the last months, both dining halls have been offering a take-out service only.
However, in view of the coronavirus situation, this can only work in the hygiene measures are being observed at all times, as Arnold Mattes, Head of the Catering Department, explains: “Of course we will be able to provide significantly fewer seats than before the crisis. Our concept is based on place cards, time slots, and routing systems. Another important aspect is that all our customers will have to provide us with their contact details to allow contact tracing.”
To ensure that the available seats in the dining hall can be properly allocated, every guest who stays for dinner is given a table number with their tray. This number, combined with a routing system, guides them to the right seat. Once the guests have finished eating, the tables are disinfected by Studierendenwerk staff, the cards are collected, and the places reallocated. A video available on the Studierendenwerk website will explain all necessary steps in detail.