Recent concerns raised by food trucks were a hot topic at Thursday's Duke University Student Advisory Committee meeting.
There are now six food trucks serving Duke's campus. Last week, Parlez-Vous Crêpe, a popular food truck at Duke that had been serving its students for several years, decided to leave. This followed the recent relocation of all food trucks to new sites on campus because of fire hazards.
“Basically, if a fire truck can’t maneuver its way in and out of certain streets, it’s a fire hazard,” Aris Marton, assistant director of retail operations for Duke Dining.
Because of the fire hazard, the food trucks this Fall were moved to the Kilgo parking lot and a location near the 300 Swift Avenue. However, Robert Coffey, director of dining services, noted that the trucks are struggling in the new locations.
“The opportunity cost for these trucks to stay on campus as opposed to leaving to other locations outside campus is now much higher,” Coffey said.
In light of Parlez-Vous Crêpe’s recent decision to leave Duke, DUSDAC members voted to give food truck operators the choice of remaining at their currently assigned Swift Avenue location or moving to the Kilgo parking lot, where sales have begun to pick up and revenues for these food trucks look more optimistic.
A group from Duke Student Government attended the meeting and suggested that food truck vendors could park on East Campus, especially on Saturdays and Sundays when Trinity Cafe closes early. However, first-years living on East have few food points, so it may be difficult for vendors to make substantial profits there, Coffey explained.
Nonetheless, DSG will be drafting a formal proposal for this option in order for it to be reevaluated, they said.
In other business:
The committee also discussed student complaints that food nutrition information at Marketplace and West Union was “either wrong, not updated or very difficult to find." Coffey said a new plan to share nutritional information at both Marketplace and West Union is in the works.
Committee members pondered issues with the late start time of the Merchant on Points program as well. However, Coffey said MOP was only created as a supplement to on-campus dining options and that Duke Dining does not want its on-campus vendors to lose potential revenue while they are open.
Additionally, changes in Marketplace's hours to accommodate athletes mean the dining hall now opens 6:45 a.m.
Duke Dining is working to resolve problems with flies at West Union and Marketplace by installing more fly lights in the buildings.
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