Students dissatisfied after recent Isaac’s changes
Changes made to the menu in Isaac’s Café this year have many students disappointed. Their main concern is that while there are new items being offered, most of them do not count for meal exchange. This means that they must be paid for in cash or with flex dollars, rather than being charged to a student’s meal plan.
“Nothing in there is worth more than we spend for meal plan,” said senior MC student Ryan Indelicato. “So I think it’s ridiculous that we can’t use meal swipes on things in there.”
The main changes to the menu include the addition of the designer burger, wings and nachos, and the elimination of pizza. A standard burger was already included in meal exchange last year, but the more customizable, larger designer burger has taken its place. Pizza was formerly a meal exchange item that is no longer offered in Isaac’s.
“[My friends and I] eat lunch in Isaac’s every day,” said sophomore MC student Taylor Leonard. “And I’m not necessarily upset that they got rid of the pizza. I’m upset that they got rid of it and then didn’t add anything back in its spot, so the meal plan got shorter.”
When Maryville College Metz Dining Services General Manager James Dulin and his staff decided to add wings to the Isaac’s menu, it necessitated another fryer. In order to make room, they had to do away with the pizza equipment.
“Since we already had pizza available late night through the C-store, we decided the nachos will be the cheesy replacement for the pizza,” Dulin said.
While the nachos do seem to be a popular new item, they are not included on the meal exchange menu. This disheartens students who are interested but cannot afford to pay for them out of pocket.
“My big issue that I’ve had for the last couple of years with Metz in general is a lack of vegetarian options,” Indelicato said. “So something they’ve done is added this whole super cool nacho bar that has black beans and would be a fantastic vegetarian option, but you can’t get it without just paying for it.”
Dulin has heard concerns from many students since the changes were introduced at the beginning of the semester. He wants to encourage students to continue to speak their minds, and Metz will take suggestions into consideration.
“We wanted to make sure that things were a go, and then we were going to start building on this menu that we have going on,” said Dulin. “So, we could maybe make a baseline nacho for meal exchange. I would see that coming probably in the spring.”
Students with suggestions or concerns can contact Dulin through the Metz website at www.metzmaryville.com. They can also take part in the Metz dining survey found on the website now through Nov. 4 to provide feedback on the general on-campus dining experience.