Sultan’s Inn ready for Hennessy evaluators

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Lauren Padden
  • 39th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey --  The 39th Services Squadron Sultan's Inn Dining Facility contributes to mission success by providing meal card holders three daily meals and "fueling" Team Incirlik 365 days a year.

"On average we're preparing and serving about $8,300 worth of food each day or approximately $250,000 per month," said Ronald Rasor, 39th Services Squadron dining facility manager.

To put those numbers into perspective, the dining facility accommodates roughly 1,700 guests per day.

"At home you might use a pound of ground beef to make spaghetti with meat sauce for a family of four," said Andrew Pastula, 39 SVS food services superintendent. "At the dining facility we use 25 pounds to prepare 150 portions."

All that work isn't a one man job ... instead it takes a team of people working together to feed Incirlik.

The food service team currently consists of 104 Turkish employees under the management of two American staff members and a military quality assurance evaluator.

Even with this large team, getting food to the customers takes planning and coordination.

"Preparation starts long before we serve the first meal each day," said Mr. Rasor. "Many items have to be washed, peeled, diced, chopped and marinated so the recipe can come together. Then, it is important to schedule everything so the food is ready at just the right time. This is no easy feat considering all the food options available".

"Despite the high pressure nature of the kitchen, it is important the staff's stress is not visible to the customer," explained Halil Altunkol, 39 SVS food service trainer. "When the doors open, all our personnel demonstrate great customer service and dedication. They take pride in what they do."

After the rush of customers has passed, it's time for clean up.

"Sanitation and cleaning are a top priority," said Mr. Altunkol. Behind-the-scenes, we have a sanitation team that works all day maintaining a clean, safe dining
atmosphere."

Another demand on the staff is ensuring there are adequate levels of supplies on hand.

Many of the fresh dairy products are ordered two weeks ahead of time and arrive once a week; whereas, most bases in Europe receive three deliveries a week. Managing these food deliveries effectively is key to providing a diversity of meals.

A variety of food including poultry, pork, beef, fish and pastas are served during a 14-day menu cycle. Additionally, one selection during each meal must meet nutritional guidelines for Healthy Choice, a program that requires meals to have less than 15 grams of fat and 100 milligrams of cholesterol per serving.

The dining facility also caters to vegetarians.

"Our goal is to meet the dietary needs of all our customers. We do that by providing a vegetarian diet of whole grain cereals and breads, a variety of legumes and nuts, and plenty of fruits and vegetables," said Mr. Rasor. "Providing quality service to our customers and ensuring they are enjoying dining at the Sultan's Inn is what we are all about." 

With that dedication to service it's easy to understand why the Sultan's Inn dining facility won the 2008 United States Air Forces in Europe Food Service Excellence Award Single Facility Category, and why they will now compete for the 2008 Air Force Hennessy Award for "Best in the Air Force."

Mister Pastula believes there were several qualities that made the Sultan's Inn stand out and earn the USAFE award.

"Our quality program with expanded menu offerings such as Mexican bar, pasta bar, stir fry station, and many other selections go above and beyond the Air Force 14-day menu minimum requirements," said Mr. Pastula. "With these services, we're sure to satisfy our customers."

The Dining facility will be evaluated on variety of the menu and every aspect of day-to-day operations at the facility.

Evaluators will focus on kitchen operations, serving and dining operations, training, personnel and readiness, sanitation and repair maintenance, and management.

"Customers are invited to provide feedback to the evaluators Feb. 8 and 9, they'll be easily recognizable as they will be wearing chef's coats," said Mr. Pastula. "All comments are welcome."