Buying lunch at SFCC an expensive convenience

Over the rumble of conversation, Emily Fulp sits at a table at The Café at the Falls with a few of her friends, a $2.69 breakfast sandwich in hand.

“The breakfast sandwiches are addicting,” Fulp, a first-year student, said. “I have to fight myself not to get one, but I get it anyways.”

Between school and work, finding the time to pack food is difficult. Because of this, eating at The Café at the Falls is an easy habit to get into for many students.

Problem is, it does give their pocketbooks a hard hit.

Taylor Ransford, first year student, says she spends an average of about $3 a day at the Café.

“I try not to spend a lot of money here, but I buy one thing and I’m like ‘Oh, I’ve spent $3,’” Ransford said. “I would like to pack my own stuff, but it’s the time crunch. It’s really just convenient that it’s here but it’s also expensive.”

Tiffany Tart, a second-quarter SFCC student, finds the prices at The Café at the Falls to be a bit too high for her liking.

“They want students to eat in there, you’d think they’d lower their prices,” Tart said. “They know we live on a budget.”

The price of an Egg McMuffin from McDonald’s tends to be around $1.50-$2, depending on the franchise, while a breakfast sandwich from the Café is $2.69. Despite the higher price, students continue to spend their money, paying more for convenience than anything else.

“(The Café) is closer.” Ransford said  “I come here and then I’m here until I’m done with classes, so it’s just more convenient for me to get it here instead of go out and get McDonald’s or something.”

According to general manager Nathan O’Brien, The Café at the Falls serves approximately 900 students a day.

Fulp says that the Café is usually full.

“It’s always busy in there,” Fulp said. “Because it’s the only place to get food.”

However, there are students who resist the temptation of convenience and instead go for the more cost-effective option. Joy Mills, a third quarter student packs her own lunch and says she saves money by doing it.

“I can make my own (food) and bring it in.” Mills said. “It tastes a lot better and it ain’t gonna cost me that much.”

David Gardinier, SFCC student, also brings his own food instead of buying it at the Café. According to Gardinier, this is a much cheaper option.

Others only resort to lunches from home when they run out of money to buy food at the Café.

“I brown-bag it when I don’t have money,” Fulp said. “And I seem to run out of money really fast when I spend it here. It’s just easier for me to drop some money instead of pack a lunch and make sure I grab it in the morning.”

Why is eating out so habit forming? According to Tart, it’s necessary.

“People have to do it,” Tart said. “You have to eat. And it’s just easier to buy it here.”

College.

As many of you may know, I started my official college career in the Fall of last year (2009). I started right off the bat being a part of  the school paper here at Spokane Falls Community College, and frankly, it has become an addiction. Kind of like crack cocaine except…without the crack cocaine. I have been the Photo Editor for the last two quarters, so I’ve managed the photo staff and the photo shoots for every story written. However, I have also taken the initiative and written a couple of stories.

I love journalism more every day.

I hate journalism more every day.

It is a strange relationship.

Revampation.

Alright. Let’s try this again, shall we? I am going to revamp this blog. I hope. That is the plan, anyways. I shall see how it works.

I may eventually try and make some money with this blog so my posts will have to be quite a bit more exciting than they were. For now, I’ll leave you to wonder if I’ll actually stay on top of my blog this time. Muwahaha.