Dining Hall Economics II
Back in November, I discussed the quality of the food here at University of Delaware, and reasoned an explination for the low quality and odd choices to the monopolistic nature of UD's dining services. However, in recent weeks, some new information about the inter-workings of Dining Services (I use the term loosely) has come to my attention.
A friend of mine has a pretty good relationship with the manager of Kent Dining Hall. Over Winter Session, Kent had actual bonafide cheesesteaks on Thursdays during lunch, and then they mysteriously disappeared. The explination given to the manager was that they were "too popular." The ramifications of that statement are astounding.
First, to my understanding, the dining halls are extensively micromanaged by the bureaucracy. This means that all menus and all decisions, both major and minor, are not made by the people who actually work in the dining hall every day.
That fact, combined with the "too popular statement" means that Dining Services constructs menus that will be unpopular, this stifling demand for dining hall food. Having an "all you can eat" set-up must be expensive for the University, and selling Taco Bell, Quizno's, and Chik-Fil-A must be cheaper and much more profitable for UD.
This all means that the University is exercising its monopolistic authority to manipulate the market for on-campus dining. At least Main Street remains free market (as far as I can tell).
A friend of mine has a pretty good relationship with the manager of Kent Dining Hall. Over Winter Session, Kent had actual bonafide cheesesteaks on Thursdays during lunch, and then they mysteriously disappeared. The explination given to the manager was that they were "too popular." The ramifications of that statement are astounding.
First, to my understanding, the dining halls are extensively micromanaged by the bureaucracy. This means that all menus and all decisions, both major and minor, are not made by the people who actually work in the dining hall every day.
That fact, combined with the "too popular statement" means that Dining Services constructs menus that will be unpopular, this stifling demand for dining hall food. Having an "all you can eat" set-up must be expensive for the University, and selling Taco Bell, Quizno's, and Chik-Fil-A must be cheaper and much more profitable for UD.
This all means that the University is exercising its monopolistic authority to manipulate the market for on-campus dining. At least Main Street remains free market (as far as I can tell).
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