A quick sandwich at Hoover will no longer be an option for those with the afternoon munchies.
DePauw University Dining and Bon Appetit decided to end “snack time” in Hoover in response to a lack of demand from the student body.
According to John Hecko, general manager of DePauw Dining for Bon Appetit, Hoover averages three to four people per hour from 2 p.m. through 5 p.m. during “snack time.”
“Snack time” was originally established because there were no other food options close to Hoover. It used to average around 70 people per day until this past March when the C-Store opened in the Memorial Student Union Building. “We realized that we were competing with ourselves at that point,”said Hecko. There are also two other stores located on campus, Café
Roy and Café Allegro, which offer the same options “snack time” does.
The lack of foot traffic during snack time was not financially feasible for Bon Appetit since it is a “service based business module.” However, according to Hecko, it is not always a matter of losing money. “We realized that we could offer the same basic options through the other stores on campus, by adjusting the hours a bit,” Hecko said.
However, sophomore Natalia Costard disagrees with Hecko. “The C-Store does not offer the same options as ‘snack time’ and all of the salads in the C-Store contain meat,” said Costard. As a vegan, Costard’s options for food are limited in all three stores located on campus, and “snack time” was that best alternative. “‘Snack time’ was perfect since I could make my own salad or sandwich,” said Costard.
According to Hecko, he does not want to take away dining options, in fact, he wants to improve what Bon Appetit already has. He plans to do this by extending the hours in the C-Store and possibly bringing panini presses in.
However, Costard disagrees with this statement as well. “By discontinuing ‘snack time,’ a place to snack and study is also being taken away,” said Costard.
First-year Light Laleye, is also upset “snack time” is ending. “I was not aware of ‘snack time’ until recently, when I tried to sneak into Hoover a little after lunch ended and then they told me I could come in since they were staying open for the snack period,” said Laleye. Recently discovering this, she is now upset it is closing due to that fact that she was not able to take advantage of it.
DePauw administration and Bon Appetit, have decided that discontinuing “snack time” is what is best for the community. According to Hecko, Bon Appetit plans to expand on what they already have and hope to accommodate everyone in the future.