More food choices are better

Callie Burgan

Sodexo, the Pitt-Johnstown food service provider, has introduced cafeteria changes this semester, including a made-to-order pizza bar, pasta station and a soup bar.

We think that these improvements are a step toward improving the food choices at Pitt-Johnstown and should be applauded.

We would like to see an even greater inclination toward broadening food choices on campus beyond the cafeterias.

We believe that offering people more of a variety when it comes to stacking their plates high would produce a positive response.

Although the eateries nestled in the Tuck Shop and the Student Union are popular among students, we think a more diversified menu could be developed.

Delivery from local restaurants is a popular option among students living on campus, but eateries like McDonald’s and Wendy’s don’t provide the service.

We think that an idea worth considering would be organizing a campus service similar to Uber Eats or GrubHub, where students can pay to have someone pick up food for them from places that do not provide a delivery service.

While we recognize that this coordination would take a lot of work and responsibility, we think that the service would be worth it in the long run, especially for students who are on campus without a vehicle.

In addition, it would improve ties we have with the local restaurants who participate in the Pitt Stop program by generating more business for them.

We think more students would be likely to engage in the Pitt Stop program if they had a broader opportunity to access off-campus food.

On the other hand, we believe that adding more food franchises to campus would be a crowd-pleaser for students who may prefer chain restaurants as well.

Dining staff could also make a stride by introducing online or mobile ordering for students who may be in a rush, such as the Tuck Shop.

We believe that while the main goal of the dining staff is to feed students, they take on a much larger role in campus life, such as providing students with the convenience to purchase meals elsewhere if desired.

Ultimately, we think that because the  overall satisfaction of campus partially revolves around the meals being provided, that boosting the food options provided to students would be a hit.