Duke University Student Dining Advisory Committee met Monday evening to discuss updates on Duke’s dining services, covering topics from Merchants-on-Points to the next semester’s tax surcharge.
DUSDAC President Chris Taylor, a senior, began the meeting by asking for updates on food trucks. Members reported that more local vendors were interested in opening food trucks, with Chai’s Asian Bistro wanting to start a food truck rotation on campus. For most vendors, however, time and location for lunchtime business remain a problem. With the low amount of business, vendors are seeking incentives, such as reduced commission rates or better locations, in order to maintain lunchtime service hours.
Barbara Stokes, assistant director of dining services, said she administrators have discussed a possible new lunchtime area for food trucks.
“The athletes are looking for a lunch food truck,” Stokes said. “Maybe the trucks could park in front of Cameron Indoor Stadium.”
Although Taylor said he was not sure there would be much student traffic near Cameron around lunchtime, he was interested in researching the idea further. Taylor told DUSDAC members to remain in contact with vendors and continue brainstorming new food truck locations as well as ways to maintain interest in food trucks during lunchtime.
Individual members reported various issues with campus eateries. Freshman Nicole Kozlak said the Freeman Center for Jewish Life wanted more students to know they accept food points. Kozlak also mentioned the Freeman Center’s interest in serving dairy one more night per week based on student interest, although other members raised concerns about how the additional night would affect the eating schedules of students who keep kosher. The committee agreed on promoting the Freeman Center, especially to freshmen, who are able to use their meal swipes there on Thursdays.
The Sitar stall in the Penn Pavilion has requested a fridge for mango lassis and Red Mango has expressed interested in promoting catering services.
DUSDAC members reported that students were unhappy with dining costs and explored ways to address the concerns.
“We can be trying to promote those lower price meals so that someone can go to different places every day and try new meals at a low cost,” Taylor said.
Taylor also mentioned the use of social media to spread awareness of daily deals at different dining venues as well as looking into implementing stamp card systems to reward returning customers. Taylor told DUSDAC members to reach out to campus vendors and learn more about various deals offered.
DUSDAC is also planning an event for the day after Thanksgiving Break, in response to the closing of the West Union arches. Free food will be offered, and employees will show students the new ways to access the Bryan Center plaza. Coupons to the Penn Pavilion will also be handed out to students.
Finally, Robert Coffey, director of dining services, addressed the issue of the upcoming 7.5 percent tax surcharge for the Spring. As a result of North Carolina’s recently revised tax laws, university meal plans will be taxed as of January 1, 2014.
“The plan itself won’t change,” Coffey said. “But there will be a separate tax surcharge on the bills.”
Coffey explained that students will have to pay additional taxes on food every time they go to the register, but unused transactions from the tax surcharge will be refunded to students’ FLEX spending accounts. Despite the tax surcharge, students will still be unable to use food points off-campus due to regulations regarding the University's nonprofit status.
Taylor closed the meeting by mentioning the possible creation of an online student opinion survey in the near future. The survey would gauge students' knowledge of and interest in the available Merchants-on-Points and campus vendors, as well as allow students to make suggestions for new Merchants-on-Points vendors.
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