Recent price bumps at Houston Market may cause some students to choose other venues for meals or a quick bite.
Effective at the beginning of the semester, Bon Appétit — the company that runs Penn’s dining halls, as well as Houston Market — raised prices for several items.
While all of Houston’s prices did not rise uniformly, the change affected the pasta and salad stations, which are among those most frequented by students.
A pasta toss without protein now costs $6.29, as opposed to $5.75 last semester. Additionally, the price of salad without protein has increased from $5.50 to $6.49.
Some students said the price hikes — while not extreme — may make them think twice about purchasing pasta and salads at Houston.
“The price change will make me choose more wisely where I spend my Dining Dollars,” College freshman Rawlin Rosario said.
According to Bon Appétit, however, these price changes were not made arbitrarily.
“What we do on a periodic basis [is see] what nearby vendors offer,” said Tatianna Emerson, marketing manager for Bon Appétit. “We want to stay competitive.”
Emerson added that this marks the first time that Houston Market has raised its prices in two and a half years.
“We worked closely with [the University] to minimize the impact of raising food costs,” she said.
Nursing junior Samantha Shen was not pleased to learn of the price increases.
“I used to come [to Houston Market] for salad because it was cheaper than everywhere else,” she said, adding that the price increase is “all the more reason for me to cook more.”
While Bon Appétit never informed students of its price changes publicly, Engineering sophomore Cristina Sorice said it “would probably be deterrent to business” if they made an official announcement.
For other students, the Houston price change will not have as large of an effect.
“I come here maybe once a week,” said Wharton freshman Jovonnie Gonzales, who does not think he will go to Houston less frequently this semester.
Engineering sophomore Sarah Martezian added that she “just comes [to Houston] for its convenience” and will probably not change her habits either.
Across the country, food prices have been rising for the past few years, and Philadelphia has not been an exception, Emerson said. These factors — along with rising fuel and transportation costs — are also behind the recent price raise, she added.
In addition to the price shuffling, Houston Market is in the process of unveiling a number of other changes.
For example, it began serving brunch this past weekend for the first time ever, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.
The new brunch options featured items like hot cereal and made-to-order omelets. The new items are in the same price range as current offerings at Houston Market, Emerson said.
“This is based on student feedback,” said Christopher Smith, executive chef at Houston Market. “We’re trying to respond to student feedback … [the students] told us they did want more.”
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