Students who find themselves shelling out $4.15 for Redbull at Novack Cafe could find a cheaper way to stay awake at Topside Convenience Store.
A can of Redbull at Topside costs $2.50, almost $2 less than the same product at Novack. Likewise, sushi, which costs $8.50 at Courtyard Cafe, costs just $6.80 at Topside. Odwalla products and sorbet can also be bought for less at Topside than at other campus venues.
Many students interviewed by The Dartmouth called the price differences unfair.
"I think it's ridiculous how much Redbull costs in Novack," Jessica Magidson '06 said. "They're obviously taking advantage of the fact that students will pay anything when nothing else is open and they need the caffeine."
While the jump in prices may cause some students frustration, College officials explained that the differences are due to the variable cost structures of restaurant-style College franchises like Collis Cafe versus the grocery-store style of Topside.
"It's cheaper to buy at Topside because there's a lot less overhead," said Dartmouth Dining Services Associate Director David Newlove.
Pricing at Novack Cafe is substantially influenced by the lack of storage space at the eatery. When commercial vendors supply the College with products, they deliver mass quantities directly to Topside. Often, these companies also stock the products without additional cost. However, in order to transport supplies to Novack, the College must pay unionized truck drivers to deliver.
"During midterms, we can get up to four deliveries a day," said Newlove, adding that students consume an estimated 45 cases of Redbull a week from Novack.
Concerning meal prices, DDS officials said that prices are relatively standard at all facilities. Apparent variations may be the result of how certain meals are prepared. For example, Courtyard Cafe uses additional slices of cheese on their hamburgers, causing a difference in price from cheeseburgers at Food Court.
Additionally, there are some price differences that result from the use of higher quality products. For instance, the 500 Farms beef sold at Homeplate, or fruit from the organic farm, both command higher prices than similar, lower quality products.
"What bothers me is that the healthier options on campus are so much more expensive," Julia Hecht '08 said, echoing the sentiments of students and College administrators alike.
"The College tries to be sensitive to health," Newlove said. "Unfortunately, lowfat tends to cost more."
