By Meghan McCloskey
For the second time in two years, Lackmann Culinary Services increased food prices in the 20 or so dining locations on campus.
Prices were adjusted in 2006 by 2 percent and they have gone up again for the Fall 2008 semester, with an average increase of 3.2 percent, according to Eisa Shukran, director of Dining Services.
The University offers seven meal plans, allowing students to swipe their IDs to pay for food at campus dining locations. The largest costs $1,800 per semester and the smallest, available only to commuters, costs $360.
Even with higher inflation and the jump in the price of commodities like oil and corn causing prices for food everyhere to increase, $1,800 seems like it should be more than enough to eat during a 14-week semester. But, according to the University’s Web page for dining options, that amount allows for an average of $16 a day to eat, or about $5.30 per meal. When meals such as salads price by weight and could cost as much as $10, students worry they cannot afford to dish out the $1,800 each semester when they still have to pay for housing, tuition and books.
All first-year students are required to buy the Level 3 meal plan, which costs $1,575. The suggested average dollar amount used each day for the plan is $14, according to the Dining Options page on the University’s Web site.
Freshman Carly Nunn said this meal plan is not adequate for her daily usage, but it is still too expensive for her to buy a larger one.
“A sandwich and a drink here costs almost $9, and that is just for one meal,” Nunn said, adding, “I had to go to the grocery store the other day because I feel like I am going to run out of money.”
Going to the grocery store to buy bulk goods seems to be a less expensive option for some students. Putting aside the potential inconvenience of travel off-campus and food-preparation time that buying from the Student Center and the other on-campus dining locations bypasses, prices of many comparable items can be lower at supermarkets.
The cost of a bottle of Poland Spring water at the local Stop & Shop is $1.00, the larger sport bottle $1.25. The same waters are sold at the University for $1.55 and $2.15.
Due to such price differential, some students decide to forgo purchasing a meal plan altogether. Shavonne Bettis, a junior living on campus, is one of them. She buys food when needed at the University with cash, but due to the high prices, she tries to limit herself as much as possible.
“I bring my food from home and store it in my room,” Bettis said, adding that she used to buy a lot more food from the University, but she can’t afford it anymore.
Students who spend too frugally may end up with a surplus of meal points at the end of the semester. Though the points roll over from fall to spring, they don’t carry through the summer. Towards the end of the spring, students often rush to spend whatever they have left over, lest the University just pocket the students’ losses. “You lose it or you spend it,” said Dutch Treats Manager Joanne Carn.
She did not indicate whether she had noticed an increase or decrease in last-minute sales.
Peggy Laibhen, a freshman commuter, decided on a similar option to Bettis’ because she finds it unnecessary to buy the commuter meal plan. Laibhen said eating on campus is too expensive and that it is a better idea to bring her food from home. “If the prices were lower here, I would definitely invest in the meal plan,” Laibhen added.
Shukran said the price increase this year was inevitable.
“Every year we look at the cost of food and product trends and figure out how we need to adjust things to keep up,” Shukran said, adding that a big factor this year was the rise in fuel prices. “Whenever fuel goes up, prices go up.”
Shukran said he understands how expensive food can be at the University, but he also assured students that Lackmann tries to absorb as much of the rise in prices as they can, even lowering the prices of some items where it is possible. “Students are actually saving the 8.625 percent Nassau County sales tax,” Shukran said.
Also, the prices at the Hofstra Deli and Starbucks are adjusted so that they compare to those of the local Starbucks and the Coliseum Deli. “We do competitive price analysis with local markets,” Shukran said. “We try to stay below market prices.”
The newly-opened Netherlands Subway restaurant has authentic Subway sandwiches at Lackmann prices. (Micheal Kamens)