The new setup streamlines the process of producing and serving food to students, DDS employee Christopher Emerson said. Employees can now move between food stations more efficiently, Emerson said as he switched from the Food Court grill to the hot line area.
"When one department is in need [of assistance], it can easily communicate that [to another]," he said.
Much of the kitchen equipment in what used to be Thayer Dining Hall was outdated, including a kitchen in Homeplate that was purchased by the College in the 1930s, The Dartmouth previously reported.
DDS employee Will Levaki praised the replacement cooking appliances.
"The new kitchens are awesome," he said. "We're getting state-of-the-art equipment."
The temporary setup has also united the various food service workers, who were previously divided between several service areas, according to Levaki.
"We feel more togetherness now that we're in the same room," he said.
The Class of 1953 Commons currently serves Homeplate, Food Court and Pavilion food offerings out of a single-service area.
DDS employees interviewed by The Dartmouth said long lines were one unintended consequence of the new layout that was often problematic for employees, especially during busy times.
A student employee who wished to remain anonymous said that working as a cashier has become "especially tiring" due to the increasingly long lines.
"The renovations have been inconvenient," she said.
Some employees maintain that the issue of long lines will be resolved once the renovations are completed this Summer term.
Other employees said they felt it was inappropriate to comment definitively on the new construction until the renovations are complete.
The congestion during prime meal times will lessen once the walls to the left of the Main Hall and behind the Main Grill are removed, '53 Commons Supervisor Gordon Wright said.
"What people don't understand is that you cannot judge until the construction is over," he said. "There will be more room and it won't be quite as crowded."
While construction continues, Wright will keep managing the lines at the different counters to ensure that they do not merge together.
The College hopes that the final '53 Commons will ultimately improve efficiency, Emerson said.
"Since [the College] had to renovate the place anyway, they decided they might as well build the cafeteria of their dreams," Emerson said. "The idea is not just improve the quality of food but also speed convenience students should be able to grab [food] and go."
The extended renovation period, however, means that employees have had to adjust to multiple new setups since the renovation process began in Fall 2010, according to DDS employee Tom Chapman.
Some employees said they long for the former Thayer Dining Hall setup for sentimental reasons.
"I miss the dish room in the old Homeplate where my friend Heather and I used to work together," DDS employee Laura Buchanan said.
