Long lines occupy the University of Mississippi pathways as customers await their orders at the several food truck locations on campus. Hibachi, burritos and philly cheese steaks are only a few of the many options available to customers once lunch time comes around.
Despite the variety of foods and the appreciation many have for this form of food service, there is a common issue among students regarding prices.
One thing the food trucks have in common is a significant difference in prices compared to other restaurants on campus. A veggie burrito at QDOBA is $8.29 with tax. A veggie burrito at Wiggly’s is $13.90 with tax, but students are still willing to pay the price
Public policy major and food truck customer Drew Moore had conflicted thoughts on these prices.
Students have said that while the prices are higher, the portion sizes provided by these trucks are more plentiful than most other food establishments on campus.
“I think it’s a good bit more expensive, but I don’t eat it often,” Moore said. “I’ll go to Qdoba and pay a pretty large amount too, but the hibachi truck will usually give a bigger amount of food.”
Food truck employee Brashonda Georgia compared her experience with these prices to those of the Union. Georgia said that chain restaurants on campus have some advantages over food trucks.
“They have more space and resources,” Georgia said. “We usually have to rely on ourselves. Our cheapest thing on the menu is $7 for fries.”
Georgia also mentioned that a further fluctuation in prices may depend on inflation. Despite this, she remains confident in the business’s ability to maintain its success due to most customers’ appreciation for the quality and quantity of the food.
While students should certainly be given plenty of cheap options, there is a significant level of difficulty when smaller businesses are forced to compete with bigger names.
