The State of MU’s Campus

[wadesworld]

The "already paid for" meals are much more expensive than $5.  I can't think of a single friend of mine who stayed on a meal plan beyond the required freshman and sophomore years.  The dining halls were brutally bad, too.

[Coleman]

Would not surprise me that MU wants a monopoly on food options on or near campus....it is big money with what they charge for meal plans.

It is a big loss for students.

[Scoop Snoop]

Yes. That's why the bars are empty every weekend.

[Hards Alumni]

Sounds like we have some scoopers that are interested in opening up a hot dog stand at 10pm on campus.

[Skatastrophy]

Sounds like we have some scoopers that are interested in opening up a hot dog stand at 10pm on campus.

In all honesty, Milwaukee would be better if they relaxed the laws around street food. It's a travesty that's it's so hard to find a late night brat. Should be a cart on every corner.

[Hards Alumni]

In all honesty, Milwaukee would be better if they relaxed the laws around street food. It's a travesty that's it's so hard to find a late night brat. Should be a cart on every corner.

I absolutely agree, I'll fund it if you staff it!

[warriorchick]

I don't know if it is still true, but when Glow and Chick Jr were on campus, there were food trucks on a semi-regular basis.  As a matter of fact, Pita Brothers started out as a wildly popular food truck on campus.  They opened up a brick and mortar location next to Walgreens, and I don't think it lasted more than a year or two.

[The Sultan]

Would not surprise me that MU wants a monopoly on food options on or near campus....it is big money with what they charge for meal plans.

It is a big loss for students.

Is it? Or is that just nostalgia.

[warriorchick]

Would not surprise me that MU wants a monopoly on food options on or near campus....it is big money with what they charge for meal plans.

Totally false.  Marquette does not have the monopoly on campus.  Sodexo does.  Their agreement with Marquette gives them that.  If it is some sort of official function on campus, you are required to order all of your food and drinks from Sodexo. 

My daughter was in charge of a pancake breakfast fundraiser for her sorority's charity, and she was not allowed to hold it on campus unless they bought all the food from Sodexo.  That would have meant little or not profit, so they wound up having it in the common area of a nearby apartment building (the Marq before the school purchased it) so they could make their own pancakes and buy juice, syrup, etc. from Costco.

TL;DR - Marquette has no stake in making on-campus food a monopoly.

[The Sultan]

TL;DR - Marquette has no stake in making on-campus food a monopoly.

Of course they do. The contract with any food vendor becomes more valuable to Marquette the more projected business is provided on campus.

[Spotcheck Billy]

In all honesty, Milwaukee would be better if they relaxed the laws around street food. It's a travesty that's it's so hard to find a late night brat. Should be a cart on every corner.

Food trucks won't be allowed on Water Street after 1 a.m. under proposed legislation

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

The "already paid for" meals are much more expensive than $5.  I can't think of a single friend of mine who stayed on a meal plan beyond the required freshman and sophomore years.  The dining halls were brutally bad, too.

Yep. As you pointed out, required meal plan for all freshman and sophomore. So over half of the undergraudate student population has already sunk money into a meal plan that now gives them already paid for meals. You see how that could impact food businesses on campus.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Yes. That's why the bars are empty every weekend.

Have you been to the bars on campus recently? They are a lot less full than they were when I was there a little over a decade ago and based on the stories peddled around here they are  less full than when the old timers were on campus. There's also less of them.

Also, drinking culture is another thing competing for students limited disposable income, another hurdle for private food businesses near campus to overcome.

I believe it would. Park on the street near the bars between 10 and 2 on Friday and Saturday night. That's the whole point of food trucks, being mobile and hitting the hotspots.

And yet they don't. Maybe it's not as hot of a spot as you might think.

There's no conspiracy here, there are very obvious economic reasons why restaurants near campus are struggling.

[Skatastrophy]

College age and new grads don't drink as much or as frequently as older people do. It's a pretty interesting culture shift with this generation.

[Uncle Rico]

Have you been to the bars on campus recently? They are a lot less full than they were when I was there a little over a decade ago and based on the stories peddled around here they are  less full than when the old timers were on campus. There's also less of them.

Also, drinking culture is another thing competing for students limited disposable income, another hurdle for private food businesses near campus to overcome.

And yet they don't. Maybe it's not as hot of a spot as you might think.

There's no conspiracy here, there are very obvious economic reasons why restaurants near campus are struggling.

The younger drinker is still prevalent in Wisconsin but dropped dramatically nationally.  It's still there but not nearly what it was.  The sin industry is very nervous about the future

[MUBurrow]

I agree that the food on campus is a major snooze, but the food truck conversation highlights that this is all just a free market problem isn't it?  If a food truck can't turn a profit being in campus during the boom times, its not surprising that a non-franchise restaurant can't turn a profit either.  And if there is even the chance of redeveloping property the University owns, I certainly wouldn't want to jump into a 10-year, low margin lease with Ziggy, or the guy who ran Gyros, or the China Garden people, or whoever else, either.

[swoopem]

College age and new grads don't drink as much or as frequently as older people do. It's a pretty interesting culture shift with this generation.

Nerds!!!

[Pakuni]

Nerds!!!

Counterpoint: It's because they're all on weed, Molly and fentanyl.

[4everwarriors]

Very broad assumption. Not your style. I mean....how do you know this? All of them are broke? I'm guessing this is implied teal.

Dat's write. Sum are privileged, aina?

[MUEng92]

Also, Marquette owns that entire block on the south side of Wells between 16th and 17th.
My guess is that they intentionally let those leases lapse because they want to redevelop it.

So will Real Chili end up looking like the house in the movie "Up" or would MU really have the stones to knock it down?

[warriorchick]

So will Real Chili end up looking like the house in the movie "Up" or would MU really have the stones to knock it down?

Of course they will knock it down. But it's not like Real Chili has been there forever. That's its third location near campus. Originally, it was right on Wisconsin. Then I believe it was on the other side of Wells.

What I would hope is that they would help Chili relocate, including offering some other University-owned space.

[dgies9156]

So will Real Chili end up looking like the house in the movie "Up" or would MU really have the stones to knock it down?

Knock it down but be sure to get a toxic waste clean-up permit first.

The grease from that place is a serious public health hazard.

[Jay Bee]

Sodexo has made it clear: "if anyone is making MU kids sh1t their brains out on a weekend morning, it should be us, not Real Chili."

[real chili 83]

Knock it down but be sure to get a toxic waste clean-up permit first.

The grease from that place is a serious public health hazard.

What the eff is wrong with you???   

Please, don't answer!!!

[dgies9156]

What the eff is wrong with you???   

Please, don't answer!!!

Ask my wife. She has a better perspective on that question and isn't afraid to tell you!

If she won't answer, ask Newsdreams!