Sometime this year, a Subway restaurant is supposedly going to open beneath Warren Towers. When that finally happens, the restaurant will supposedly accept Boston University’s Dining and Convenience Points. Add to the mix a newly opened Starbucks cafe right next door to the supposed Subway that also accepts the points, and students have two new options for quickly ridding their Terrier Cards of money. Though these new options are always welcome, students shouldn’t become spoiled into thinking they can get a “free” meal at a “real” restaurant.

At most universities and colleges, student dining is a big operation, but not at BU. Here, the operation is gargantuan, consisting of five dining halls and more than 15 restaurants that accept BU Points. And don’t forget the five Late Nite Cafes.

Most other schools pale in comparison to BU’s bounty. And yet, some want more. Students have long been wanting popular campus restaurants such as Uburger and T Anthony’s to join on the points bandwagon. While it would surely be convenient for those looking for a quick bite to eat on the far ends of campus, students need to remember that there are fresh, healthy foods available in dining halls near both restaurants.

Not to mention the potential pitfalls for these smaller eateries. Another restaurant owner says BU Points ruined a pizza place in Kenmore Square in 1998 by producing unprecedented demand for the small, unprepared restaurant.

Systems like BU’s points are best suited for large chain and franchise restaurants, anyway. Smaller places have a certain measure of character that belies their size. The university seems rightfully wary of adding too many outside options and diluting the effectiveness of its dining halls. Since BU has such a sprawling campus, the idea of a central meeting place for students has been a high priority for almost all university operations since the John Silber years. BU isn’t about to take bodies out of the dining halls — one of the main meeting spots for students on a daily basis.

And rightly so. There is a certain charm to eating with a dozen of your friends among dozens of other groups of friends. But when the urge strikes to get dinner in the “real world”, students should avoid the tendency to treat Dining or Convenience Points as fake money. It’s all-too easy to spend upwards of $10 on a meal without batting an eyelash when the money is cleverly stored on a small piece of plastic. That temptation would be worse at local businesses like Uburger and T Anthony’s.

So dig in, BU. Enjoy the options, and don’t forget the benefits of eating at one of the dining halls. You can eat conveniently at chain restaurants, but places with more character require real money.