If you have been to the ASUCD Coffee House recently you may have noticed not only the increase in prices, but also the information put out by the CoHo staff in order to educate CoHo customers. Various flyers, notices and other content have been posted to answer the many questions customers may have about the change. In addition, CoHo employees have been especially helpful when we asked them questions on the matter.
It is refreshing to see such transparency in the midst of big — and maybe frustrating — change. The amount of information available to customers has made the slightly more expensive food easier to swallow.
Some reasons for the changes are rises in food cost and the minimum wage increase. The flyers, however, might be a bit misleading since prices at the CoHo have always included tax, and when asked about the “job skills and leadership training for students” stated on the flyer, no specific changes were mentioned by Associated Students Dining Services Foodservice Director, Darin Schluep.
As cited on the coffee house’s website, the CoHo operates on a break-even basis. It is important to understand that the CoHo is not making a profit off it’s customers. Like the flyers state, the price changes are there to absorb the increased pay to employees and the increased cost of food. If the CoHo makes any surplus, it is “placed in the ASUCD general fund, to be allocated by the ASUCD leadership for a variety of student services,” Schluep said. At a place like a university, it is comforting to know where your money is going when you have to shell out a little extra for your daily coffee.
We understand why the price changes have been implemented, given that many eateries have been increasing their prices recently as well. Nonetheless, customers’ concerns are also justifiable, especially when the CoHo is supposed to offer relatively inexpensive eating options. Maybe the new additions to the menu will give people a little more variety for their cash.
We appreciate that the CoHo providing information about the change, and we welcome their transparency. Additionally, we are excited about the boba!
