Avi Shah ’17, Connor Gunsalus ’17: Almost every day at Episcopal one can hear someone complaining about the pricing of food in the cafeteria. With the large variety and amount of options our dining hall offers, it is possible that the cost of a single lunch order can become unreasonably high. Even ten dollars may not amount to much food in the EA dining hall, which has led students to discontent over the expensive pricing of the cafeteria.
Photo Courtesy of McKee Bond ’19
Up to this point, this question of why the prices are so high is yet to be answered. Students have varying levels of acceptance of the expensive food. Matt Freese ‘17 said, “I think the cafeteria prices are pretty high but in all honesty they mirror the amazing quality of food we have in the cafeteria.” Other students are less sympathetic, citing the fact that the prices are much higher than the prices of local food distributors. “I believe that our prices are unbelievably high,” says Dallas Taylor ‘17. “I went to the store and was able to buy ten Honest Teas for ten dollars. I don’t understand why it costs three dollars for one in our cafeteria.” Students struggle to see what differentiates the products in our cafeteria from other distributors. Taylor continued, “Four dollars for a chocolate milk? A slice of pizza for three dollars and fifty cents? These are just a few of our products that I find to be unreasonably priced.”
When asked about what factors go into determining prices Familetti responded, “We determine prices based on the wholesale costs, market conditions, availability and seasonality of the item. Prices are often higher for more high-end, local, sustainable and organic products.” Familetti thinks that our products are reasonably priced, stating, “We provide higher quality products. Many of our prices have not changed or have only experienced a slight increase. When we are able to obtain a product at a lower cost, we pass that on. For example, one of our popular products is the dried fruit that is sold in the canteen. This year, there was a price reduction from our supplier so we lowered the price in the canteen by one dollar.”
Another question Familetti addressed is whether our faculty’s free meals have any bearing on food pricing. He responded, “Faculty lunches have no bearing on any of our pricing.” When asked if anything could be done to lower the prices, Familetti responded, “One way to reduce the prices would be to lower the quality of the food. However, we do not want compromise on our commitment to quality. We are always working with our suppliers to get the best prices and they keep us abreast of special deals or sales. We work with local suppliers and through an organization, Common Market, which helps keeps costs in check through bulk buying. Sustainability initiatives also help us reduce costs and keep prices lower. For example, eliminating the throw away to go containers saved money, and we were able to pass on those savings through lower prices. We have introduced a number of new products over the last few years and continue to look for ways to offer healthier options in the dining halls and canteen. Many of these items are more costly, such as organic chicken patties and grass-fed beef was also more expensive, but in line with our healthier eating initiative.”
While higher quality of food explains the higher prices for some food items, it does not completely explain the costs of the cafeteria. Certain foods are not of higher quality and appear to be overpriced, such as the Honest Teas and chocolate milk, to name a few. These items, however, are in fact being sold at the lowest possible price, as Familetti justified: “Large chain stores and supermarkets are able to utilize volume buying which lowers the cost of an item. They also increase profits utilizing high volume strategies. A higher volume of sales yields greater profit in the long-run, even if the profit is selling for less. This is why they can sell a product for less; they are selling many more of them. That is not the case here at school where we sell much less…We do not have the same buying power as a big supermarket chain and therefore my wholesale prices are higher. A store with multiple locations will be able to buy at a better price.”
We are fortunate here at EA to have incredible cafeteria food, but that does come at a price. The prices in our cafeteria may seem very high upon first glance, but the quality of our food makes up for it. By having high prices, our cafeteria can provide food that is made with the healthier and cleaner ingredients, and supported by diligent labor. Yes, it is true that certain items can be bought for cheaper elsewhere; but, as a small cafeteria without the ability to obtain items as cheaply as major grocery stores, the prices are in fact reasonable.