The University of Winnipeg (U of W) has a lot of options for food both on and around campus.

Some students living on campus believe the food at U of W is not good or overpriced, so they go elsewhere, but the restaurants on campus believe that they are charging below the average price at other universities.

Students who do choose to stay on campus can eat at places like Garbonzo’s in the AnX, Elements in Richardson College, Pangea’s Kitchen in Riddell Hall or Stella’s in the Buhler Centre. Students can also choose to head off campus and visit close-by places like Sorrento’s or Booster Juice.

Meal plans are also an option for students. They are $425 per consecutive four-week periods for non-resident U of W students. Students get a meal card they can use at the Diversity Food Services restaurants and have a few meal plan options laid out for them in different cost brackets.

Erica Mitchell, a fourth-year biology student, says that she tries to bring her own food from home.

“If I need a snack, I head to McDonald’s or Tims (Tim Hortons). If I need a bigger meal, friends and I usually go to Subway or Stella’s,” Mitchell says.

Prices can vary all over campus for food or drinks. For example, a venti (20 oz) fresh-brewed Starbucks coffee costs $3.22, a brewed coffee in a large (16 oz) to-go cup at Stella’s costs $2.70, and at index, a 12-oz coffee costs $2.30.

Mitchell says coffee prices vary everywhere you go, so the different prices are a non-issue for her, since there is coffee on the price spectrum within walking distance of the university.

There are a few Diversity Food Services-run restaurants on campus, like Pangea’s Kitchen in Riddell Hall and Elements - The Restaurant in Richardson College. They also run The Malecón on fourth floor Centennial and Café Bodhi.

John Delaat, chef de cuisine for Diversity Food Services, says students should be eating at Diversity-run restaurants, because it is real food cooked from scratch on site.

“We use whole ingredients and don’t use harmful ones like propylene glycol or high fructose corn syrup. For instance, the chicken in our sandwiches and stir-fries is 100 per cent chicken. We take pride in serving healthy, nutritional meals to everyone on campus,” Delaat says.

Mitchell says she knowingly avoids Diversity-run restaurants, because she doesn’t think the food is as good as local fast food or sit-down restaurants. She adds there are a few exceptions for her at certain Diversity-run restaurants like Elements.

Mitchell, who is a vegetarian, says after asking a Diversity-run restaurant if the poutine was vegetarian, finding meat in her poutine was infuriating and unappetizing.

Delaat says that guest satisfaction is important at Diversity and that human error can happen sometimes.

Pangea’s Kitchen is open Monday to Friday 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and Saturdays 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Elements is open Monday to Friday 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Saturdays 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

“If this incident had been brought to our attention we would certainly have reimbursed the guest and would also have been given the chance to follow up with employees to ensure that this kind of mistake would not happen again,” Delaat says.

Pangea’s Kitchen is open Monday to Friday 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and Saturdays 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Elements is open Monday to Friday 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Saturdays 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Published in Volume 72, Number 19 of The Uniter (March 1, 2018)