Club Five Six food service suspended

  • Published
  • By Capt. Gerardo Gonzalez
  • 56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. --  Luke Air Force Base officials have suspended regular food service at Club Five Six until further notice to ensure that portion of the club mission meets high standards and customer expectations.

While food preparation is temporarily suspended, bar service and meeting space will continue to be available to customers.

"This morning, our inspection of kitchen operations convinced us that we were on a glide path that required strong correction to recover to the standards our customers expect," said Col. Phil Darcy, 56th Mission Support Group commander. "Accordingly, we decided to immediately suspend food preparation in the club until we're satisfied our staff could consistently meet first-class standards."

Six months ago Club Five Six opened with promises to deliver a first-class facility that provided first class service and food to customers, said Col. Darcy.

"While we are very proud of our facility, we have failed to deliver on our promises of first class service and food," he said.

Food services will continue to be available at the Falcon Dunes Golf Course, the Thunderbolt Lanes Bowling Center, and the Plaza Deli in Building 1150, said the colonel.

"We will use those facilities to provide limited catered food service for Club Five Six functions until we restore food operations at the club," he added. "The Falcon Inn Flight Kitchen and Ray V. Hensman Dining Facility are also available for authorized personnel."

The get well plan for the food service portion of the club includes contracting with industry restaurant professionals to provide expert training in food preparation, kitchen procedures, and quality service to the Club Five Six staff, said the commander.

The colonel also stressed that the club will not return to normal operations until he is satisfied the club can deliver on the promises made to customers.

"We apologize for the inconveniences these actions may cause our customers, but we hope everyone will understand that we take our commitment to providing a first-class club very seriously," Colonel Darcy said.