By Kirsten Mahon/tr news editor
Riverfront Cafe management on TR Campus has been working with students on prices and hours.
Students have complained and expressed that the prices in the cafe are too high or the 7 a.m.-2 p.m. hours don’t fit their schedules. The student government association added the cafe to their list of items to change on campus. When the SGA approached cafe manager Dean Combs, things became easier than they originally thought, SGA officers said.
The week before finals, April 29 through May 2, ECI will help student activities with Focus on Finals week by keeping Riverfront Cafe open until 6 p.m. each night. Combs will see how much traffic picks up in the Cafe and determine what opening time adjustments are needed.
Currently, the hours are a half-hour longer than last semester. The prices for food could range from a dollar and some change for a pancake in the morning to $7 or $8 and sometimes more for a chicken Philly sandwich and sides at lunch.
Students can pick up fruit cups and yogurt pots for under $3, pizza slices for under $4 and breakfast tacos for about $4 as well. All the food is made on site, and TR Campus remains the only campus with a full range of menu options since Subway took over the food service contract on the other campuses.
“They have bent over backwards to work with us,” said Mark Warneke, TR student government association vice president, about the changes being made at the Riverfront Cafe.
In the fall, Combs kept the cafe open until 5 during finals week.
“Monday and Tuesday were good, but as people take finals, they’re not coming back to the campus,” Combs said. “I realize that.”
Combs said he wanted to plan the next trial during a busy week when student traffic is the heaviest. Combs has also initiated Saturday opening times and anticipates a breakfast and brunch menu for students in Weekend College. He said he believes these students shouldn’t be skipped out on simply because it’s the weekend.
“I would love to have feedback on Saturdays,” he said.
The cafe has recently introduced more price-friendly solutions directed at students. Now the cafe has introduced $2 sandwiches, $4 snack packs and pizza/soda combos. Combs also created additional signage to make more students aware of the cafe changes.
Students can also purchase cafe gift cards up to $500 that potentially give them a discount for preloading. Discounted rates are prorated on tiers, so the larger the gift card, the larger the discount.
