The scales have been tipped on The Strip.
UT’s food service provider, Aramark, made its debut on Cumberland Avenue Sept. 19 with the opening of Panda Express and Raising Cane’s. These new establishments have already gained condemnation from the Cumberland Avenue Merchants Association, comprised of various business owners and managers from The Strip.
Unlike other restaurants on Cumberland Avenue, the two UT Dining locations accept Dining Dollars as payment from students, creating what the Cumberland Merchants Association describes as an unfair competitive advantage.
At their October meeting held last Wednesday at the Goal Post Tavern, CAMA discussed the negative effects that the new businesses have created for their restaurants, like an already evident decrease in revenue.
“They’ve noticed that their sales have declined,” Rob Wynkoop, owner and operator of Gyrene Burger, said of the many Cumberland merchants affected by Aramark’s presence. “That’s unfortunate, because it’s hard enough to do business as it is.”
However, CAMA is not taking the recent hit to sales lying down. They’ve created an online petition advocating that Dining Dollar payments be extended to all vendors on The Strip. Debbie Billlings, treasurer of CAMA and president of Graphic Creations, said she hopes students will voice their support through “Free Our Food UTK.”
“We’re trying to get the University to level the playing field a little,” Billings said of the petition. “The more the students can help sign the petition, that gives us more power to go to the state.”
Jeff Maples, senior associate vice chancellor of finance and administration, understands CAMA’s concern over unfair competition, but he maintains progress is being made to allow the use of Dining Dollars at other restaurants.
“There’s a lot of work behind the scenes before we can make that happen,” Maples said. “In the meantime, what we’re doing is no different than what we normally do in continuing to expand the UT dining offerings.”
Maples said he expects to see the expansion of Vol Card payment options to The Strip by Spring or December of next year. The opening of Panda Express and Raising Cane’s was a response to student demands, Maples said, not intended to decrease business for other Cumberland Avenue locations.
“Students all the time tell us they want more flexibility, they want more options,” Maples said. “That was another avenue for us to continue expanding our dining.”
Located on UT property, Raising Cane’s and Panda Express are able to take advantage of certain rent and property tax advantages made possible through the university. Much of Wynkoop’s disappointment stems from how the University has handled the situation. Citing a delayed plan by UT to extend Vol Card payment options to many Cumberland Avenue restaurants by November, Wynkoop said the “compromise” was allegedly pushed back until the spring semester by the University.
A member of CAMA, Wynkoop recognized the necessity of student action if any permanent solution is to take affect on campus.
“Change at the university is really not going to happen because the merchants are upset,” he said. “It’s the students.”
Feroza Freeland, a freshman on the exploratory track, said she would appreciate increased options on The Strip who accept various forms of payment.
“They need to get on board,” Freeland said of Cumberland restaurants not offering Dining Dollars. “If more restaurants on The Strip allowed us to pay with Dining Dollars, I would probably go to them more.”
Wynkoop stated that CAMA’s goal is not meant to give either the university or the Cumberland Merchants any kind of advantage, but to even the scale so each can stay afloat on The Strip.
“The number one unfair advantage is that they can accept a form of payment that no one else can,” Wynkoop said. “I don’t think any of us here are trying to get rich. I just think we’re trying to stay in business and please students.”
Students can sign the “Free Our Food UTK” petition.
