Boon Edam Inc. announced that Pensacola Christian College has installed 12 Boon Edam waist-high turnstiles to manage entry into two of its dining halls.

Pensacola Christian College (PCC) had turnstiles that were 20 years old and as Amy Glenn, chief communication officer, put it, “we had exhausted the life out of those units.” PCC was also having real problems getting replacement parts.

PCC staff researched various companies offering turnstile entrances and found the visual appearance of each of the products to be similar. “What brought us to Boon Edam was [their] willingness to work with us,” Glenn said. The College wanted recessed scanners in each entrance and a plexiglass covering for protection. Boon Edam made that happen. Cost was also factor:  Boon Edam turnstiles are made in America, cutting shipping costs and for PCC that made a big difference.

Boon Edam turnstiles are installed in both the Four Winds and Varsity dining facilities. The two dining halls serve about 10,000 meals a day, two-thirds of which are served at Four Winds. Meals are served seven days a week. At Four Winds, there are eight turnstiles, but four units alone can handle 1,000 students in 15 minutes or less at popular times. “We don’t want our students waiting in lines,” Glenn explained. “We could have designed a huge lobby but this size with this throughput is ideal.”

At the 1600-capacity Four Winds, all eight turnstiles are used for entering; lobby attendants monitor the exit so no turnstiles are needed. The 900-capacity Varsity has four entry turnstiles.

“We use the turnstiles not just for count, but also to determine eligibility,” Glenn added. “We live and die by our counts each day. As a large food service operation, the counts are vital in our estimating process for meal needs. Accurate counts save us money by reducing food waste, while still ensuring we meet demand,” Glenn concluded.