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ASUCLA struggles to meet Taco Bell profits

By Harold Lee

Jan. 20, 2005 9:00 p.m.

When Taco Bell was removed from campus, the Associated Students
of UCLA quickly filled its place, but is still trying to match the
popular eatery’s performance through new restaurants.

After Taco Bell was removed from campus last quarter,
Shorty’s Subs, formerly located in the Cooperage on Ackerman
Union A-level was moved to fill Taco Bell’s place in Campus
Corner.

Mucho Taco was opened in the Cooperage to satisfy
students’ cravings for inexpensive Mexican food while also
taking replacing Shorty’s Subs.

According to the October ASUCLA restaurants income statement,
when Taco Bell was still on campus, the customer count for Campus
Corner was 18,075. In November, when Shorty’s Subs replaced
Taco Bell, the customer count for Campus Corner, dropped to
8,898.

Though business at Campus Corner today lags behind Taco
Bell’s numbers, ASUCLA management is confident it will
improve.

“I think we’re going to pick up some
momentum,” said interim executive director of ASUCLA, Bob
Williams, noting that marketing and the amount of sign
advertisement will be increased.

In light of protests that Taco Bell’s parent company, Yum!
Brands, purchases tomatoes from suppliers who allegedly participate
in labor abuse in the Immokalee region of Florida, ASUCLA ended
Taco Bell’s contract at the Oct. 22, 2004 Board of Directors
meeting.

In the Cooperage, many students lament that Mucho Taco pales in
comparison to Taco Bell. In comparison to Taco Bell, students
consistently complain about the lack of selection available on
Mucho Taco’s menu.

Some students do not find Mucho Taco’s quality up to par
with Taco Bell’s, though they appreciate the prices at Mucho
Taco.

Kendrick Hsu, a second-year materials engineering student said
he did not like the chicken and only eats at Mucho Taco because it
is the only Mexican-themed restaurant at the Cooperage.

Changes are still going to be made to the menus for the ASUCLA
restaurants, Williams said.

Shorty’s Subs, for example, will have new subs added to
their menu and plan combo meals in the future.

“We’re always trying to find new and exciting things
to add to our menu,” he said.

The latest change to the ASUCLA restaurant lineup was the
addition of Athena’s Mediterranean Cafe, which opened Jan.
6.

Athena’s shares Campus Corner with Shorty’s Subs and
serves gyros, falafel and other wraps.

ASUCLA made the decision to add a Mediterranean restaurant to
Campus Corner because surveys indicated that it was a highly
requested item, Williams said.

Because of contractual obligations, ASUCLA could not open a
Mexican-themed restaurant in Campus Corner, but still was able to
use much of the equipment left at the site.

“We felt that this is a product line that would be
successful, but it’s also a product line we could do in the
existing equipment package,” Williams said.

December’s restaurant statistics are still being compiled
and since Athena’s opened just recently, how the new
restaurant will affect Campus Corner’s performance is not yet
known.

“I think it’s clearly going to help us raise
sales,” Williams said. “It’s unlikely that it
will do as well as Taco Bell, but my staff is challenging that
notion and doing everything in their power to prove me
wrong.”

ASUCLA has not officially attempted to gauge student feedback,
but has encouraged staff to give their feedback.

“We’ll wait a few weeks until we get our act
together, before we collect feedback,” Williams said.

Some students have already formulated their opinions of
Athena’s.

“I thought I’d give it a try,” said Andrew
Dorn, a fourth-year microbiology, immunology and molecular genetics
student, speaking of his first time at Athena’s.
“It’s not bad, but it’s too expensive.”

In spite of their grievances, students like third-year
archaeology student Jerry Howard say they will eat at the ASUCLA
restaurants out of convenience.

“I’d probably eat here once every two weeks or once
a week at most,” Howard said.

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Harold Lee
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