Ohio University students have a variety of places to shop for groceries, but some with meal plans wish they could swipe their cards at businesses throughout town.
Although OU Culinary Services does offer meal plans allowing students to purchase groceries from the OU markets, the plans can be used only for OU culinary locations.
Some Ohio schools, such as the University of Akron, have meal-plan options that allow students to swipe their school IDs and purchase items from businesses on campus that are not run by the university, according to Akron’s website.
The University of Akron’s dining options include Einstein Bros Bagels, Dairy Queen, a convenience store and Starbucks coffee shops, among other locations, according to the university’s website.
Students who currently have a meal plan are likely to shop at the OU markets rather than Kroger or Walmart because the meal plan is already paid for, said Kathryn McDermott, a sophomore studying business.
“I don’t want to spend my own money at Kroger, because I already have a meal plan that I paid for through OU,” McDermott said.
Because the markets are more expensive than most other stores, McDermott said she would use her meal plan at places Uptown or at Kroger instead if she could.
Kaitlyn Crist, a senior studying broadcast journalism, said she would definitely purchase a meal plan like the University of Akron’s if it were priced correctly.
The OU markets are “exponentially” more expensive than Kroger or Walmart, Crist said.
“You get a lot more value for your dollar, so that’s why I don’t shop at the (OU) markets,” Crist said.
Some students choose to purchase food at the Athens Farmers Market, which can be pricier but offers higher quality produce, said Ben Weiner, a graduate student studying mechanical engineering.
“The food tastes so much better, especially the produce and meat,” he said. “The chicken and beef tastes a lot better than what you would get a Kroger or the food at the dining halls.”
Though Weiner said the OU markets are expensive, he uses his meal plan to stop there for a quick snack between classes.
He added that a meal plan that would allow students to swipe their IDs at businesses around town, and even the farmers market, would be a great idea.
“If more people utilized the farmers market, then that would increase demand, which would increase production, which would lower prices,” Weiner said. “It’s important to support your local economy and local farms.”
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