The Mastermind Of Lynn Dining

By HAUWA INDIMI

Staff Writer

General Manager of Sodexo in the Elmore Dining Commons Brian Bowser is a leading provider of Quality of Life Service in the U.S. who has helped craft its proposal to partner up with Lynn by providing its professional dining and catering services.

Since the summer of 2013, Bowser has been a great asset to the Lynn community. He makes sure that the dining experience is much more than merely satisfactory.

Bowser, originally from Virginia, has a nomadic family background. Traveling has always been an all-time activity. By the time he was seven, Bowser had already moved to 11 different places.

Having started in Virginia, he grew up in Ohio and later attended college at Sullivan University in Louisville, KY, where he earned a degree in culinary arts and business management.

Since then, Bowser has gained an ample amount of work experience in a field so dear to his heart. From fine dining to independent bistros, to country clubs to eventually owning personal businesses, Bowser is experiencing it all.

“We have a rule in my family,” said Bowser. “If you don’t cook, you have to do clean up afterwards and I hated doing the dishes. So, I knew at 13 that if I helped my mother cook, I won’t have to clean up after wards. I knew that if I can cook and if I can cook well, I will always have a job and I will always be able to eat.”

With a degree in culinary arts in his possession, he highlighted that his signature dish is roasted salmon over a bed of Israeli couscous tossed with marinated artichokes, arugula and sun dried tomatoes.

His second favorite dish is a well-cooked macaroni and cheese.

“It’s so dirty, it’s good,” said Bowser.

At work, he still works in the kitchen, tastes the food and guides the staff, so that the food hits the taste buds just right.

Bowser has an interesting way of being on top of his work. He said the secret behind being a good manager is by walking around.

“You can’t wait for cus- tomers to come to you,” said Bowser. “You go to them.”

This is why majority of students see him perambu- lating the rows of the cafeteria at meal times.

“I won’t rest until Lynn is recognized as one of the best culinary and din- ning service programs in the country; not just for Sodexo, but overall, ” said Bowser.

However, one of the challenges for the dining team is that a huge part of the Lynn population is international.

“You have to bring authenticity to what you do,” said Bowser. “If you are going to call something curry from India, it has to have authentic flavor. It needs to have the look, the taste and the texture because you will get called out on that.”

Bowser believes that having a variety of options available in the dinning commons will surely satisfy the customers. 70 percent of the produce they use is organic. “It’s fresh, it’s local [and[it’s from 40 to 45 miles away,” said Bowser.

With a large amount of experience under his belt, Bowser is grateful for everything that has come his way.

“I count everyday as a blessing,” said Bowser. “I get to do what I love of a company that I enjoy working for and I can’t think of a better home to be in than Lynn. So much that I am going to be an alumni.”

Bowser has enrolled in the masters program here at Lynn for hospitality management this fall to further extend his career and education.