¿Quieres Taco Bell en UPAV?
By Page W. H. Brousseau IV
TIMES STAFF WRITER
Why are there no fast food restaurants in the University Pavilion? Why is there no place in the UPAV where the average-money-deprived college student can grab a lunch for under $5?
Is there collusion between the vendors and the university to keep vendors with lower prices out?
I had these questions in mind when I decided to find out. McDonald's, Rally's, China One, Halo Burger, and Churchill's are all that are available downtown to eat in, but are quite a walk.
That is why the UPAV is so important to grab a quick bite between classes, or to stay dry and warm.
Tammy J. Rees, Program Center Coordinator, told me around 1995 Hot-n-Now and Taco Bell had locations in the UPAV. But unlike local vendors, franchises pay the university a percentage of their take, then they have to pay a franchise fee on top of that. The vendors in the UPAV make most of their money on the 10a.m. to 3 p.m. lunch crowd.
"They just couldn't generate enough money for the franchise fees," Rees told me in an interview.
Local vendors just pay a flat leasing fee. Taco Bell and Hot-n-Now closed within sixth months. She continued, "Subway makes enough" to stay operational. Rees said the University is in talks to bring new vendors to the UPAV and create a wider variety to choose from for lunch.
© The Michigan Times 2001
