Chef for Residential Dining Michael Kann, who assists chefs in all undergraduate halls, says that he also worked with chefs to re-arrange menus to eliminate excess handwork--like that involved in sandwich-making--for a limited crew.

"We modified the menu so that we wouldn't lose an item, but rearrange the workload," he says. "You won't see the healthy grinder and the Rueben sandwich together."

Kann also says an increased number of stir-fry dishes reflects the new equipment available to chefs in the renovated kitchens.

And for the serving staff who complained that new dishware weighed as much as three times more than older plates, cups and bowls, HUDS has provided ergonomic training and proposed teamwork.

"They know the appropriate way to hold their bodies," McGahey says. "We partnered people who are physically strong [with] those who are not."

Richard J. Kennedy, a kitchen receiver, says that he often assists his coworkers with weighty loads. "If the ladies are having a hard time, we're always helping them out with the heavy things," Kennedy says. "They say team, I say family."

And Salerno emphasizes that an additional four months using the new equipment and systems has helped to ease tension too.