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Students
question food prices in Lion's Den Associate Editor
A
recent business decision may change the future of Missouri
Southern s on-campus food service. Dr.
Terri Agee, vice president for business affairs, said AmeriServe chose
to terminate its contract with the College effective July 31, 2003. The
contract we have right now is not financially viable for them, she
said. We will go for bids soon, and AmeriServe is more than welcome
to bid. I have been very pleased with them. AmeriServe
said it chose to void its contract so a new one could be formed. The
current contract was drafted before the addition of the food court and
Seattle Roast Caff . Sue
Sullivan, AmeriServe director of sales and marketing, said AmeriServe
plans to enter the bid. We
plan to continue business [at Southern] for the rest of our lives, if it
works out, she said. The current contract needs to be updated to
fit the points of service. This is just a business decision that needed
to be made. Agee
said a committee will be formed to design the wording of the bid. One
of the things we ll talk about is what we look for in a food service
center, she said. Obviously, price is one thing we ll look at.
We ll definitely do price comparisons when we evaluate the bids, for
sure. The
prices of the products have gone up over the past year. However, Agee
said, the quality has been improved as well. Many
Southern students are questioning whether the food at the Lion s Den
in the Billingsly Student Center is worth the cost. Students
have complained that the prices are not compatible with other eating
establishments in Joplin and surrounding areas. I
think they re not really comparable with your fast food chains,
said Jeremy Tignor, junior general studies major. Burger King and
Wendy s have 99-cent menus and always have sandwiches that are on
special. I
think most of [the food] is pretty reasonable, but some of it is
overpriced, said Linda McCullough, junior sociology major. I think
they should cut the prices back a little bit or provide some things to
eat that are less expensive. Agee
said one of the main things the committee will investigate is the
possible variation of the meal plans offered. We re
looking for different options, she said. Maybe you can choose to
pay for less meals throughout the week. It s difficult to have those
options at a small campus, but we ll still pursue it. Sullivan
said AmeriServe will consider offering cheaper dishes in the future. We are always open to suggestions, she said. A lot of the changes that have taken place is because students have made suggestions. We will definitely look at a 99-cent special or something in that arena. |