Chew on this

Health, variety, service among students concerns with on-campus dining facilities

Sharon Leff, Kiel McLaughlin

Eats | 4/7/08

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Waffle fries from Chick-fil-A in the Susquehanna, cheese pizza from Sbarro in the Den, and chicken tenders from Paws are all favorites among Towson students. But some students would also like to see more variety and improved customer service at dining facilities.

The costs of food

Chartwells, the food vendor for Towson, supplies the University with meals at more than 10 locations.

Chartwells is paid between $13-14 million per year, according to associate vice president for auxiliary services Joe Oster.

"That's for [about] 4,000 students on any variety of meal plans," Oster said. "We're not the biggest contract but by no means are we a small contract. When we go out to bid there is a big interest. It's very competitive."

Periodically, the University puts out a request for proposal to find interested contractors.

Roy Cubbler, resident district manager of dining services, said Chartwells has five years left on its contract with Towson.

Oster said students can expect a 4 percent increase in prices next fall, a typical increase of boarding rates. He said price increases are tied to the consumer price index and that corn products, wheat, eggs, and milk have all gone up in price.

"It's some of the biggest price increases in the wholesale price of food in a long time," he said.

Some students are frustrated with costs. Many times the price of a meal through the University's meal plan doesn't fully cover what they purchase.

During breakfast hours a meal is worth $4, for lunch it is $4.75, and for dinner it's $5.25.

"I'd like to see more meal-deal options where I can get a sandwich with chips and a soda for a meal rather than having to spend a meal on the sandwich and then use points or another meal for the sides," Drake Booth, a sophomore electronic media a film major, said.

Others opt to use all-you-can-eat facilities such as the Glen or Newell Dining Hall. Junior computer information systems major James Schmidt, said he has never had a problem eating his fill.

"I usually try to vary it up and eat at different places around campus," he said. "And I never have complaints about the food. I always get plenty to eat for my money."

Continued...

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