At the end of almost every day, Steve Sobczak recalls the same thing: He bought two bags of chips, two bottles of soda and lunch -- all of which were on campus.
KU Dining, which is responsible for most of the dining venues available to students on campus, is seeing more activity this year than ever before. Sobczak is just one example of students who are now choosing to stay on campus to eat to avoid wasting expensive gasoline, among other reasons. As a result, KU Dining is seeing increased revenues since last year.
But despite a rise in activity, KU Dining is
financially preoccupied with meeting students' needs. More accommodations and new environmental programs requested by students are requiring the allocation of each dollar earned, and often times before it is.
According to Alecia Stultz, assistant director of dining retail, every
"It's almost awful, it's like I can't go fast enough," said Emma Swendson, Atchison freshman and Hawk Shop employee. "I'm getting frustrated, and so are they."
Chris Harms, Shawnee junior, said he ate on campus once or twice a week last year, and now finds himself going between four and five times each week because his schedule doesn't allow him the time to go elsewhere.
KU Dining spent around $8,000 this year for outdoor seating to alleviate the crowds at the Underground. This is the third year in a row KU Dining has expanded outside accommodations, Stultz said.
Each year, KU Dining tries to increase its revenue by 3-5 percent. Last year, the highest revenue day for The Underground was $18,181. The Underground has already broken that record four times since the first day of school. Students are also spending more when they come. The average amount students are spending per visit to any given dining location has risen 50 cents from this time last year.
The average amount spent per visit to the Underground last year was $3.98. So far this year it is $4.28.
"It's been challenging for us," said David Mucci, director of KU Memorial Unions.
"We weren't expecting the explosion in food costs that we've had." He said it was too early to know how successful KU Dining would be this year.
This year KU Dining launched the Lose the Lids campaign, an effort to reduce wastes by making lids and straws less available. It saw a 60 percent decrease in 32-ounce lid usage since the beginning of the year, which has saved approximately 3,000 lids and $108 so far.
Average amount spent per visit at KU Dining venues.
Though a small amount, Stultz said, the focus of the project was to help the environment, and that the little money saved is always eaten quickly in expenses.
"That money can go toward four cases of crunchy chicken for the crunchy chicken cheddar wraps," Stultz said.
The next step for KU Dining is to use new, eco-friendly cardboard salad containers. The new containers are 11cents cheaper than the current containers with lids, and will likely save $34,650 this year.
"We're getting away from Styrofoam and petroleum-based products," Stultz said. She mentioned the Roasterie Co.'s project to design a corn-based cup, and Freshens Co.'s plans toalso develop socially responsible cups and lids.
Despite popular environmental initiatives and the appeal to save gas, students like Sobczak are still feeling the pinch in their wallet.
"My studies take the cut; I have to get a job now," he said.
Swendson agrees that it's expensive but more convenient.
Still, Mucci said each day is trying to make ends meet.
"I'm relieved and happy...it's a relief to have the numberson campus."
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