I was an avid consumer of Grab-and-Go food last year. It was a quick, convenient way to get lunch, avoid long lines in the Knorr Dining Hall, and do some work between classes. This year, Grab-and-Go locations have taken a turn for the worse, with limited days of service, fewer locations, and reduced selection.
Grab-and-Go food used to be available during lunch on weekdays in the Knorr Student Center and Kendall Hall. This semester, the locations are either unstocked or closed.
In the past, nobody questioned whether Grab-and-Go stops would be open — they just were. Now, the stores are open most of the week in Kendall, save random days off like last Friday. This schedule confuses many and leads to even longer lines in the dining hall.
Beyond limiting its hours, Grab-and-Go locations have reduced the number of locations from four last year — Lane Hall, Kendall, the Old Snack Bar, and A.J.’s Cafe — to two locations this year: Kendall and A.J.’s. Reducing the number of locations results in ridiculously long lines, stretching all the way to the library.
Not to mention the abysmal selection of items available in the limited locations. Last year, students were greeted with a wide variety of salads, sandwiches, wraps, parfaits, snacks, and drink choices at Grab-and-Go places. On a good day this year, we get frozen cookies and the occasional appearance of Doritos. Many days, Grab-and-Go stores do not even stock water bottles.
My go-to sandwich used to be the All-Italian made with capicola, salami, ham, lettuce, tomato, and oregano. When I was running late, this sandwich was my savior. This year’s All-Italian has mutated from its former transcendent, pure, meaty goodness into a dry, desolate, freezer-burned cake of bread. Now, I avoid it at all costs.
Student meal plans pay for the service. We should demand higher quality — or at the very least, higher quantity — at Grab-and-Go locations.