HOW ABOUT THE CAFETERIA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP84-00688R000200120005-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 29, 2002
• Sequence Number: 5
• Content Type: OPEN

Approved For Release 2002/05/09: CIA-RD
ow about the cafeteria
e center of a storm
re and general helper
ii," Mr. Allen says,
terns. You can imag-
oing at the lower-
feeding most Gov-
in Washington for
,e exception is the
force. Explanation:
:ilding is not under
he General Services
:,SA), and therefore
t1 the food facilities
other buildings in
ith GSI. (Reminder
Government Serv-
awarded the con-
ception is the work
artment of Health,
?elf are (I-IEW)_ Ex-
i:5ed to be covered
ontract, but a few
ked permission to
ed it, and the HEW
food prepared by
another private company.
The GSA-GSI contract was not
awarded on a competitive-bid basis; it
was negotiated. The latest version of
this agreement became effective in
1971. In force for an indefinite term,
it is liable to cancellation by either
party on 196 days' notice. The ar-
rangement requires GSI to pay I'/ %
of its gross sales into a reserve ac-
count, out of which capital equip-
ment is purchased that becomes the
property of the U.S. Government. In
a trade-off for these payments, GSA
does not charge the company for rent
or utilities.
_The subject of rent has become
much hotter lately than some of the
food that GSI dispenses. The Office
of Management and Budget (OMB)
has made an issue of it (i.e. of the
rent). It has proposed that certain
concessionaires (read GSI) in federal
buildings be billed for the space they
occupy. 1'he proposal had been
knocking around OMB for some
years, and was revived only recently.
But before deciding whether to put it
into effect (a decision is not likely
P84-00688R0002001 -
An honest critique of the food in
Fatso is the nom de plume of a
Department gourmet whose appe-
tite is poor, but who is completely
objective. `.'I tell it like it tastes, "
he says-His usual lunch in State's
cafeteria consists of yogurt and
two hard rolls. However, he agreed
to abandon his low-cholesterol
diet- `just for today' = when the
NEWSLETTER promised it would
publish this review, uncensored.
ON THE BASIS of a full-course
luncheon on February 22,
which cost me $2.79, I have de-
creed a rating of 21/2 Homburgs
for our employees' cafeteria. Fat-
so's Homburg Rating System is
translatable in these terms: 4 Horn-
burgs: "Not bad at all." 3 Horn-
burgs: "Not all that bad." 2 Hom-
burgs: "Could be better." I Hom-
burg: "Eat elsewhere."
My two companions and I en-
tered the cafeteria at about 12:35
p.m. on the critical day, and two
of us were at the cash register by
12:41 p.m. The third, who had
elected to join the "deli" sandwich
line, beat us by 2 minutes. Not
had. All three of us were given ade-
quate attention in the food line,
where we were received pleasantly
by the cafeteria employees. I make
no further comment on the service,
inasmuch as there are limits to
before mid-year), OMB is seeking
reactions. From Mr. Allen of GSI, a
retort came quickly. "That pro-
posal," he told the NEWSLETTER, "if
implemented, would rapidly answer
the question of whether the cafeterias
are going to close. We would have no
alternative but to close them."
Another possible option, of
course, would be for GSI to go ahead
and pay the rent, passing it on to
patrons through higher prices at the
register. But the company's view is
that this would not be feasible be-
DEPARTMFN7ApprbvedTFFc~i 1%6UTk62/05/09 : CIA-RDIPI$R%EQ6$47Q00200120005-7
what one s
teria. A w
arece: The
tray was cl
dry. We di
fortably re
ers' section
I had
cial, which
day. I sele
my main c
turned out.
one. While,
tic veal ste
days for
chopped,,
have been
ly. The bre~
sauce or grr
in the Unit
the portion
meat was t~
hot when I
it--another
for my colle
as I am, a g
abhors onio
my other f
caused me t
dered that
sel, which
evaluating a
of taste.")
My frie
which made
pseudo veal
gratified to
pieces in my
calloped ap
firm and cc
overly sweet
As ism
cause patron
then would
least one OM
not impressed
TER: "Goverr
than other pt
because many
eat in don't p
benefit both f
Government t
gument can t
fringes shoulc
board, so the
what the rote
 Approved For Release 2002/05/09 : CIA-RDP84-00688R000200120005-7
An honest critique of the food in our incomparable ca
e-teria
private company.
-GSA-GSI contract was. not
on a competitive-bid basis; it
r mated. The latest version of
etment became effective in
force for an indefinite term,
le to cancellation by either
n 1.96 days' notice. The ar-
nt requires GSI to pay IV2%
Yross sales into a reserve ac-
out of which capital equip-
purchased that becomes the
of the U.S. Government. In
oft for these payments, GSA
charge the company for rent
1c5,
Fatso is the note de plume of a
Department 'gourmet whose appe-
tite is poor, but who is completely
objective. "I tell it like it tastes, "
he says. His usual lunch in State's
cafeteria consists of yogurt and
two hard rolls. However, he agreed
to abandon his low-cholesterol
diet- `just for today"--- i%'hen the
NEWSLETTER promised it would
publish this review, uncensored.
(\N THE BASIS of a full-course
.J luncheon on February 22,
which cost me $2.79, I have de-
creed a rating of 21/ Homburgs
for our employees' cafeteria. Fat-
so's Homburg Rating System is
translatable in these terms: 4 Hom-
burgs: "Not bad at all." 3 Hom-
burgs: "Not all that bad." 2 Hom-
burgs: "Could be better." 1 Hom-
burg: "Eat elsewhere."
My two companions and I en-
tered the cafeteria at about 12:35
p.m. on the critical day, and two
of us were at the cash register by
12:41 p.m. The third, who had
elected to join the "deli" sandwich
line, beat us by 2 minutes. Not
bad. All three of us were given ade-
quate attention in the food line,
where we were received pleasantly
by the cafeteria employees. I make
no further comment on the service,
inasmuch as there are limits to
before mid-year), OMB is seeking
reactions. From Mr. Allen of GSI, a
retort came quickly. "That pro-
posal," he told the NEWSLETTER, "if
implemented, would rapidly answer
the question of whether the cafeterias
are going to close. We would have no
alternative but to close them."
Another possible option, of
course, would be for GSI to go ahead
and pay the rent, passing it on to
patrons through higher prices at the
register. But the company's view is
what one should expect in a cafe- Sala
teria. A word or two on the ambi- penu
arrce: The floors were spotless; my and
. subject of rent has become
rter lately than some of the
?ar C1SI dispenses. The Office
ag.ement and Budget (OMB)
an issue of it (i.e. of the
t, has proposed that certain
onaires (read GSI) in federal
s be billed for the space they
I. he proposal had been
ag around OMB for some
(nd'- was revived only recently.
'ore deciding whether to put it
feet (a decision is not likelApproved
FOF STATE NEWSLETTER
tray was clean and hot, but not yet olive
dry. We did find a tidy table, com- fours
fortably removed from the smok- hard
ers' section. not
I had spurned the daily spe- whit
cial, which featured sukiyaki that reve
day. I selected the veal steak for once
my main course. The choice, as it rem
turned out, was not an historic
fede
one. While, admittedly, an authen- peac
tic veal steak is not available these cash
days for $1.00, I felt that the coul
chopped, pounded meat could (23?
have been prepared more tasteful- peac
ly. The breaded coating, even sans fres
the portion was generous, and the that
in the United States-greasy. Yet whit
sauce or gravy, was-as you say it less,
hot when I reached my table with ple,
it-another plus. (I did not care tive:
for my colleague's sukiyaki, being, toff
as I am, a gourmet who absolutely to
abhors onions; however, a taste of plea
my other friend's fish sandwich entr
caused me to regret I had not or-
dered that crusty and moist mor- me
sel, which my friend was then rati
evaluating as being "rather strong goo
of taste.")
My fried rice (30g) was gluey,
which made it compatible with the
pseudo veal steak. However, I am
gratified to report that the fruit
pieces in my second side dish-es-
calloped apples (25 jt)-were hot,
firm and cooked in a syrup not
overly sweet.
As is my custom, I saved my
cause patronage, already slipping,
then would drop precipitately. At
least one OMB official, however, is
not impressed. He told the NEWSLET-
TER: "Government workers pay less
than other people for their lunches
because many of the cafeterias they
eat in don't pay rent. This is a fringe
benefit both for the company and the
Government employees. A good ar-
gument can be made that all these
fringes should be open and" above-
board, so the whole world can see
For Res 8' OtY2I9/fit: 1AfAM4606 s 0M StzaA pelttsation
is for
ton?
bet
teri
they
of
the
thr
hig
 Approved For Release 2002/05/09 : CIA-RDP84-00688R000200120005-7
Rarer's strategy. Starting at some time
in the spring, he told the NEWSLET-
TER, he hopes to convert the offerings
at one end of the cafeteria-probably
the south end-into a soup-and-salad
unit. Two or three varieties of soup
will be sold, and patrons will fix their
own salads from makings that will be
provided at a salad bar. "I think
we're going to do all right," Mr.
Rarer says. "You have some great
people here, and I'm glad I was given
this assignment."
Con ns at State:
a quick reference
Here is a rundown on some of
the other concessions in the State
Department building:
NEWSSTAND (second floor)-
Space is provided to the blind, with-
out charge, under the Randolph-
Sheppard Act. Neither State nor the
General Services Administration
(GSA), which manages the State
building, controls prices. The conces-
sionaire is chosen by the District of
Columbia licensing agency, which
works with the Department of
Health, Education and Welfare.
STORE (adjoining cafeteria)-
The Office of Minority Business En-
terprise, in the Department of Com-
merce, awards this concession-a
noncompetitive contract award-un-
der Section 8a of the Small Business
Act. The concessionaire pays the
Government a sum equal to I1/z %lo of
gross sales.
CREDIT UNION-Does not
pay rent; space provided under the
Federal Credit Union Act.
BANK-This concessionaire is
selected by the Treasury Department.
Pays rent through GSA.
COMBINED AIRLINES
TICKET OFFICE-The Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) pro-
posal on rent would affect this opera-
tion.
T ASSOCIATION-State makes
its own arrangements with this organ-
ization, which controls parking and
operates a number of other services
for employees. The OMB rent pro-
posal might also
F~L`~~@1$@le
MEET THE
`MAYOR
IMIRIE'S
THE NAME
The "mayor" of the State
Department the man who han-
dles complaints, if any, about the
cafeteria, the cleaning crew, the
parking spaces, the heat, the cold,
the rest rooms, the physical shift-
ing of offices and other aspects of
the working environment here-is
Scott F. Imirie Jr. As a ruse for
keeping his workload manageable,
he hides behind the formal title of
chief, General Services Division,
Office of Operations, Bureau of
Administration.
When the NEWSLETTER
changed its address recently, from
Room 6808 to Room 3237, it was
Mr. Imirie who sat at the checker-
board, figuring out where the news
staff would go. "You can find me
doing this practically all the time,"
he said. "Someone's always being
moved and, though I'm not the
one who gives the order, I'll be the
one who hears about it. I'd say the
people here are more sensitive
about where their offices are than
practically anything else. Everyone
wants to be in the `high rent dis-
trict' on the seventh floor." "How
do you stay out of trouble with
your constituents?" he was asked.
He replied: "I don't."
While the "mayor" was not,
of course, elected to his post, and
though there is no need for him to
campaign in the building, one
senses that he most likely would do
well on the stump. Besides being-
gregarious, sympathetic and
good-humored, he happens to
have an identity with the main
building at 21 st and C Streets (he
also is in charge of Department of-
fice space elsewhere in Washington
and the United States) that few
other "candidates" could match.
He began "thinking State" even
before he came to work here. The
"His Honor"
clerical employee in the old muni-
tions control office, retiring in the
1960s. Her son the "mayor"
joined the Department in 1950 as a
clerk-typist. As his career ad-
vanced, he bacame a space analyst
and helped plan the expansion of
the building where he now, as it
were, officiates.
"The other complaints I get
are mostly about the tempera-
ture," he said. "I have a warm
room myself (his office looks out
to 21st Street and Virginia Ave-
nue). I realize that some other peo-
ple don't. But that depends on just
where you happen to be in rela-
tionship to the separate heating
zones inside the building. There
are about 25 of them, varying in
the amount of space they cover.
The system is a pretty good one of
its kind, even though it's a little
uneven. In a place where there
might be a particular problem, we
try to do something about it. You
understand, of course, that the real
manager of the building is the
General Services Administration.
My role is to act as the Depart-
ment's liaison with GSA on this
and other matters."
When Mr. Imirie goes home,
it's to a 70-year-old frame resi-
dence in Chevy Chase which he de-
scribes architecturally as "early
farm." "I enjoy puttering around;
I'm a do-it-yourself guy," he said-
"How does your home compare
with the State building?" he was
asked. He replied: "I'd say they
were on a par. Neither of them are
new, but I like to work at keeping
sgri?0gWAWPgvkP14rFZi~ g BF Q +, 8045-7
 Approved For Release 2002/05/09 : CIA-RDP84-00688R000200120005-7
Approved For Release 2002/05/09 : CIA-RDP84-00688R000200120005-7