One IU chef has brought his culinary skills to nearly all of the major dining halls at IU and is adding the recently opened Goodbody Eatery to the list.
Chef Darren Worth splits his time between Goodbody and the Bookmarket Eatery. Goodbody officially opened to the public Sept. 18 and features Nick’s English Hut, the Traveler, Chocolate Moose and The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf.
“They’re pretty similar,” Worth said. “We run the same systems in both places.”
Worth said in the beginning business was slow for Goodbody, but things picked up Sept. 21 and 22. Worth said the feedback has been positive so far.
“I think once everyone knows it’s here, it will be a good, quick option,” Worth said.
Worth's job as a chef includes planning menus, ordering food and cooking. Sonya Harding, operations manager of the Bookmarket and Goodbody eateries, said the recipes used at the Traveler are Worth's.
He began his IU career at the dining hall in Wright Quad. When the Restaurants at Woodland opened in Forest Quad, Worth said he was asked to open it alongside two other chefs. After going back to Wright for a short time when it was renovated, he was asked to lead the Bookmarket Eatery.
Worth said the kitchens at Bookmarket and Goodbody eateries are very similar, but the equipment is reversed in the rear kitchen of Goodbody, requiring a small adjustment. The week before Goodbody opened officially, a soft opening offered free food to Wells Quad students, allowing the new staff time to practice.
“That’s what the soft opening is for,” Worth said. “We take our bumps and bruises then.”
Worth said the Traveler, Chocolate Moose and The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf are consistent with what is in the Bookmarket Eatery, easing the transition. He also said Scholar’s Inn Bakehouse and Nick’s are relatively similar in their options for quick foods, such as burgers and fries.
Worth said he runs the menus at the Traveler in different rotations, so while Goodbody may focus on Spanish cuisine one evening, Bookmarket would be serving Japanese.
“I wanted to leave those options open to give students more variety,” Worth said.
Worth said Harding knew this position was going to require a dual role and asked him to fill it.
“I definitely couldn’t do the Traveler without him,” Harding said.
Before starting at IU 11 years ago, he said he had run a lot of hotels across the country, which required a lot of moving. He wanted something more consistent in hours and location.
“The hours here can be crazy, but they’re more stable,” Worth said, adding that he usually works nine-hour shifts.
Harding said his leadership, culinary skills and readiness helped make him a good fit for the role.
“He makes the best food on campus,” Harding said.
