Family-owned restaurants on Commonwealth Avenue are struggling to maintain their livelihoods as students refrain from stepping in.
Profit has continued to plummet now that fewer people are on campus for the school year, and many are opting for easier eating options.
Students are looking for a quick, convenient food choice when they venture out of their dorms. So food delivery services like SaffronRoad.com, which largely cater to massive corporations, make eating out much easier. Students can order from chain restaurants miles away and have the food on their doorstep in 30–45 minutes.
Boston University’s partnership with Grubhub now makes it more convenient than ever to pick up food from designated places on campus that accept dining points. Locations such as Panda Express, Subway, Basho Express and Einstein Bros. Bagels are some of the go-to options for students.
On top of that, it’s practically effortless for students to make a daily trip to the dining hall and load up on food for the day rather than go out for dinner. People are leaving home less because of health concerns — for those outside the working class, it’s become a new way of life.
With the heightened fears brought on by a pandemic comes the commonly skewed perception that local establishments are not as clean as chain restaurants. Many corporations regularly undergo renovations and amenity upgrades, so they naturally look cleaner.
However, we have all been to our fair share of McDonald’s and Taco Bell locations that are not up to code. A prejudice against the perceived health standards of smaller restaurants may lead students to avoid them and any indoor dining they offer.
Another factor that affects where students choose to dine is the cost of buying locally.
Businesses have had to increase their prices, and some are beginning to accept only cash payments because they can no longer curb the transaction fees card companies charge. Utility expenses and staff layoffs have also forced them to narrow their windows of operating hours, even if this now means fewer students will find it convenient to visit.
A majority of college students are running on a budget, and cannot afford to consistently eat at these restaurants. For many, it can’t be a daily thing, unlike a trip to Starbucks or Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers with stored and invisible dining points. And it can feel like a waste of money not to utilize prepaid dining plans.
These efforts to lower the cost of staying open are a direct result of lost profit — but also a direct deterrent of business from students.
Even so, we cannot sit idly by and let these staples of Commonwealth Avenue die out. These families have served our community for decades. If our local private eateries shut down, not only do we all lose out on good food and good people, but we lose out on years of history.
With a more unified, campus-wide effort, we can definitely help support our local community.
The University is not a philanthropic institution tasked with the responsibility of bailing out these businesses. However, it could set up a collaborative system to help them.
Most of the private-owned restaurants do not take dining or convenience points, which is a determining factor for students. BU could look into a potential partnership with the restaurants that would allow students to use their convenience points at these locations.
The businesses themselves could also create an initiative to integrate BU IDs into dining. A 10–15-percent-off deal with a valid student ID could boost business and encourage students to dine locally. Even student organizations can opt to collaborate with these restaurants for fundraising events rather than chain restaurants.
When choosing where to dine, you don’t have to eat at a variety of local diners all the time. Simply becoming a regular at your favorite place is already more than appreciated. If you still want the ease of delivery, call the location directly and ask if they offer such a service to relieve owners of the hefty commission delivery services take.
And of course, do your best to leave a tip. You are receiving a service that takes time, energy and money from the company. In the dire times they are facing, employees would especially appreciate this effort.
Small businesses personalize your requests and provide you with the family atmosphere students are often devoid of on campus. Any service you need — whether it be flower arrangements, a haircut or pizza — can be found at a local business with, often, better quality and service than a massive corporation can offer.
So the next time you’re hungry, take a stop by a smaller restaurant to support those who have supported us for decades.
