U. dining plan worries food truck vendors

Some local food vendors are wondering how their business will fare now that the University will require all freshmen to purchase a 17-meal per week plan during their first semesters at Penn. And some are even concerned that the move may put them out of business. Starting with the Class of 2005, all incoming freshmen must buy the 17-meal-per-week plan -- called the "Penn Titanium Meal Plan" -- for the first semester. After this, they may either upgrade to 19 meals per week, or downgrade to 14 meals per week in the second semester. In the past several years, many off-campus eateries have opened at Penn, including the Moravian Cafes food court, El Diner and Papaya King. And it was the addition of these new food vendors that led Penn, in part, to close food service at Chats, formerly in the basement of the 1920s Commons Dining Hall, in December. Food truck vendors wonder if, with the increased dining requirements, they soon will face the same fate as Chats. Michael Lynch, who operates the Quaker Shaker food truck next to Gimbel Gymnasium, estimates that freshmen make up a significant part of his business. "There's some young faces I see," Lynch said. "Say a quarter of everyone who's out here eating [is a freshman]." And Lynch fears that the effect of the new requirement may spell trouble for vendors like him. "That's pretty slick on [the University's] part," Lynch said. "It may hurt some of us in a big way. It may put some of us out of business." Another food truck operator who wished to remain anonymous agreed that the vendors may be hurt by the move, as students make up the bulk of their business. However, according to Vice President of Campus Services Larry Moneta, competition with food trucks and other vendors was not a consideration of the University when it created the new requirement. "[Competition] was not a goal," Moneta said. "We had no conversation about the food trucks." Some operators remained calm yesterday, citing the fact that many freshmen already buy the full plan and choose not to use their meals in the dining halls, opting to purchase from vendors anyway. "I hear freshman talking about it in line, and they buy the full meal plan," said Dimitrious Dimopoulos, whose family operates the Greek Lady food truck by the Quadrangle, where most freshman reside. "Ninety percent of freshman buy the full meal plan anyway. Maybe if they made everybody buy it, it would affect us." D.J. Bak, an operator of a 38th Street food truck, agreed with Dimopoulos, though he expressed surprise at the heavy requirement of the new plan. "What kind of requirement is that?" Bak said. But Bak added that "even if [freshmen] pay in advance, probably they'll miss lots of their meals."

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