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FAMU Students Junk Cafeteria for Fast Food

By Steven Jumper
Black College Wire

A new food court on the Florida A&M University campus is causing students to flock from traditional cafeteria food to the fast-food likes of fried chicken, pizza and egg rolls.

Photo credit: Benjamin Evans III/ The Famuan Pizza Hut Express, KFC Express and Far East Fusion offer new food options to students. However, with the opening of these food chains, the traditional cafeteria is suffering.

Pizza Hut Express, KFC Express and Far East Fusion, a Chinese restaurant, are now serving food in the lower level of the Student Activities Center, and students are migrating from the main dining hall cafeteria -- on the second floor of the building -- to the new Food Court below.

With most fast food restaurants beyond walking distance, students who live on campus had little choice when they tired of traditional cafeteria food. Other than its Orange Room, which sells hamburgers, wings and deli sandwiches, FAMU has offered a limited food menu.

The cafeteria's main hall seats 330, but the on-campus freshman class alone consists of 2,147 students -- most of whom have meal plans.

"I've had to come to the cafeteria early this year to avoid the crowd," said Manounchka Merrin, 18, a biology premed student from Miami.

The traffic increased after the lower level was closed to students for KFC and Pizza Hut construction. But ever since the restaurants opened on Oct. 23, business in the cafeteria has slowed.

"The lines upstairs are thinning out with the opening of the Food Court," said Sheldon Clark, a sophomore business administration student from Charlotte, N.C.

Shelita Nelson, general manager of dining, said employees have had to adjust to the changes in business.

However, as some students are finding out, the Food Court restaurants do not accept meal plan tickets, an issue that has been brought to the attention of the Student Government Association.

Steven Jumper is a student at Florida A&M University who writes for The Famuan. He can be reached at [email protected]

Posted Nov. 21, 2003