Commentator Survey: Eating In The Cafeteria

Take a look at the campaign platforms of students running for student office at Yeshiva. Most if not all highlight improving the quality of Cafeteria service as a major point. Clearly, the student body is unhappy with the food being serve. A recent survey conducted by The Commentator revealed exactly how unhappy students are.

The survey polled twenty percent of the students at YU (a statistically significant survey need only poll ten percent of a given population), and dealt with issues of price, food quality and quantity, and overall satisfaction with the service provided in the Cafeteria. Ten percent of survey participants were satisfied with the overall quality of the food. None of the respondents considered the pricing reasonable, and none thought the food was particularly healthy. Half the students questioned felt the quantity of the food provided was enough to satisfy their appetites. Everyone surveyed viewed the cafeteria's cashiers and servers as friendly and helpful.

Many of the students who were happy with the food quality were recent Israel returnees, and admitted that the food was only good relative to what they ate while studying abroad. "I'm not saying that the food here is objectively so good," said Shmuel Singer, who attended Kol Torah, "but it's worlds better than what we were served in Israel." The mixed response concerning food quantity can be attributed to the difference in the size of individual appetites. One student, who considered himself satisfied with the amount of food served, based his response on what he called "the inordinate and insurmountable amount of fries served with the main dish at dinner."

The most glaring inadequacy revealed by the survey was the Cafeterias prices. Breakfast, consisting of cereal, either a roll or powdered eggs, and something to drink, costs on average over six dollars. In comparison, at Grandma's Cookie Jar, a bagel with cream cheese, along with a pastry and a drink cost less than four dollars. A similar cost disparity exists with lunch and dinner. Both meals can cost upwards of eight dollars, while two slices of pizza and a Snapple run about four dollars at Time Out. "At Columbia University, dinner costs about seven dollars, and it's all you can eat", said Hadar Weiss, who noted that the food quality at Columbia is superior as well.

The only positive result of the survey was the complete satisfaction with the service provided by the staff. "Yeah, I like the people working at the Caf," said Dovid Feld, "but service with a smile can only get you so far." Feld's sentiments seem to reflect that of the general student population at Yeshiva. Obviously, the issue of food service deserves its place at the top of the list of problems at YU.