classy lounge....

- Healthier food
- Better tasting food
- Better service

- Profit

- More healthy options on the menu (including vegetarian and vegan options)
- Wait staff who are courteous and respectful and don't stand in a group at the cash all the time
- A fast service guarantee around lunch time on request. This would really encourage people to choose 1280 over La Piazza etc for a meal in a hurry. Many restaurants do this with great success.

- Line bypass for the IRC

Originally Posted by .:callen:.

- A fast service guarantee around lunch time on request. This would really encourage people to choose 1280 over La Piazza etc for a meal in a hurry. Many restaurants do this with great success.

I'm thinking that I might ask around to see if it might be possible to include the McMaster meal card service... I'm not sure if it's possible (we don't have it in Union Market for example), but I'd like to see why it might not be possible, and see what roadblocks might be in the way.

Quarter's accepted the meal card. why would they remove that from 1280? (it's just much slower than in La Piazza)

Originally Posted by Taunton

I'm thinking that I might ask around to see if it might be possible to include the McMaster meal card service... I'm not sure if it's possible (we don't have it in Union Market for example), but I'd like to see why it might not be possible, and see what roadblocks might be in the way.

I'm pretty sure Quarters took the meal card... as an 'off campus' vendor of course. Hospitality would probably be more than happy to continue that.

If you want to work on anything to do with Hospitality Services I'll be more than happy to help. We meet regularly with all the Hospitality managers and the Director.

I really do think the fast service guarantee would be really successful.

I didn't realize that Quarters took the meal card. I suppose it won't change... I didn't frequent Quarters (I was an off-campus first year AND I really didn't like the place). I just assumed that they didn't take the card because our other services (like Union Market) don't.

Sorry about that!

Drunk 18 year old gir- I mean better food, ye that's what I was totally going to say

Kidding aside, I'd like to see 1280 offer some of the more popular Bistro options. Simply saying 1280 serves Bistro food would be enough to generate a decent amount of interest in it from North Quad, especially people who like to eat all their meals at Bistro. Apart from being host to already popular food options across campus and having wait staff that will at the very least give a good initial impression to the incoming first years, I can't really see much that 1280 can do that they don't seem to be doing.

Quarters always used "Freedom" dollars - the same that you use when you use your meal plan at Boston Pizza, etc. People with small meal plans (and no freedom dollars) can't use their meal plan at Quarters. Oh, and you can't use your meal plan to buy alcohol.

You also get your Freedom dollars back at the end of the year if you don't use them, so eating at 1280 with your refundable freedom money when you have a lot of non-refundable regular money left doesn't make much sense... especially since the Wokery is so close and a great deal better.

Originally Posted by Alex McColl

especially since the Wokery is so close and a great deal better.

Well, that was when Quarters was around. Let's not judge until we've tried the new food and menu.

Edit: PS: again, I'd like to emphasize that when you do go to 1280 for a bite and you decide the food sucks, please let me know. I'll be the first person to demand it be fixed.

We're not spending all this money for a new estabilishment for nothing.

Originally Posted by Alex McColl

Quarters always used "Freedom" dollars - the same that you use when you use your meal plan at Boston Pizza, etc. People with small meal plans (and no freedom dollars) can't use their meal plan at Quarters. Oh, and you can't use your meal plan to buy alcohol.

You also get your Freedom dollars back at the end of the year if you don't use them, so eating at 1280 with your refundable freedom money when you have a lot of non-refundable regular money left doesn't make much sense... especially since the Wokery is so close and a great deal better.

Good for pointing that out Alex.

Which is why it's smart as a residence student to buy the small meal plan, and then top up with 'freedom dollars' if you need more. Then it's refundable, instead of getting a large meal plan and not being able to refund if you don't use it all.

This is discussed more in our food/meal plan articles.

Originally Posted by jmbauman

Quarter's accepted the meal card. why would they remove that from 1280? (it's just much slower than in La Piazza)

They should remove it.

The University has a surcharge on each transaction made using a meal card, and the percentage is high enough that Quarters was paying out almost all they profited per meal.

It's a concession kept by the MSU with student service in mind. It's a really bad thing for the bottom line of Quarters.

When the audited statements come out, check the meal plan expenditure line on the Quarters balance sheet.

Originally Posted by deadpool

They should remove it.

The University has a surcharge on each transaction made using a meal card, and the percentage is high enough that Quarters was paying out almost all they profited per meal.

It's a concession kept by the MSU with student service in mind. It's a really bad thing for the bottom line of Quarters.

When the audited statements come out, check the meal plan expenditure line on the Quarters balance sheet.

Interesting. I'll be keeping my eye out for this. Thanks Rohan!

Originally Posted by deadpool

They should remove it.

The University has a surcharge on each transaction made using a meal card, and the percentage is high enough that Quarters was paying out almost all they profited per meal.

It's a concession kept by the MSU with student service in mind. It's a really bad thing for the bottom line of Quarters.

When the audited statements come out, check the meal plan expenditure line on the Quarters balance sheet.

My understanding is that they charge only slightly more than what VISA charges to have a VISA terminal. Why else would Boston Pizza and other Profitable restaurants accept it? Were Quarter's profit margins on food really that low?

Originally Posted by Alex McColl

My understanding is that they charge only slightly more than what VISA charges to have a VISA terminal. Why else would Boston Pizza and other Profitable restaurants accept it? Were Quarter's profit margins on food really that low?

Neg, it's higher than a VISA terminal etc. It's why Phoenix phased out the meal card system as well. Meal card works best to attract customers to the place. If you are doing very high volume of sales (Pizza Pizza or Pita Pit) it is a valuable system. When you are doing very low volume sales to people with mealcards (Mahal) it is a good promotional thing.

Quarters and Phoenix occupy the middle part. Revenue is generally made on alcohol sales. Food prices are kept reasonably low in order to compete with Paradise's establishments, and so when people are coming in with meal cards, those meals profit less.

Now, the thing is, the amount of money this means isn't a lot, and it's not anything close to a solution for Quarters' financial problems. In the macro sense of things, the amount paid out is probably a few thousand dollars max, and were those people to pay with VISA, it might be a few hundred dollars more profit.

Ben, it's really nothing to worry about. I made it seem a lot bigger than it actually is. Promotionally speaking, the meal card machine can be a great asset.

If you want to do something involving the issue, work towards changing policy so that the kitchen staff at Quarters are trained culinary workers as opposed to confused students who have class in an hour and an essay due the next day.

If those first years come into Quarters and get a good meal, they'll come back more times and pay with cash etc. and that's when the machine pays for itself. In the state the kitchen is in now, it is not a useful thing.