Outside vendors enhance on-campus dining

Monday, October 26, 1998

Outside vendors enhance on-campus dining

RESTAURANTS: Quality of

cuisine, though pricier, rivals ASUCLA’s eateries

By Neal Narahara

Daily Bruin Contributor

With the introduction of two outside vendors, the first level of
Ackerman Union has started to look like the food court of an
upscale mall.

Rubio’s Baja Grill and La Cucina by Italian-food vendor Sbarro
are joining Panda Express as campus restaurants not owned by the
Associated Students of UCLA (ASUCLA).

La Cucina, which is still under construction, was originally
scheduled to open at the same time as Rubio’s this fall, but
disagreements over the terms of its lease with ASUCLA have pushed
the opening back another three months.

The restaurants look to offer a different quality of food than
other restaurants on campus. Rubio’s, for example, prepares all its
food to order.

"Sometimes I think the food (at Rubio’s) tastes better," said
Carol Lee, an undergraduate member of ASUCLA’s board of
directors.

"As far as most (ASUCLA) food goes, it’s unappetizing," said Ana
Gheytanchi, a fourth-year psychology student. "I’ve eaten a lot of
the food on campus the four years I’ve been here. A new place is a
nice change."

Besides featuring new and supposedly better food, the two
restaurants will feature higher prices than other campus
restaurants.

According to ASUCLA officials, a typical check ­ the
average of all combined orders ­ is around $4.65 for Rubio’s,
and La Cucina’s projected average check is $4.30.

Restaurants in the Cooperage, which offer full meals comparable
to those offered by Rubio’s and La Cucina, are less expensive, with
an average check of $3.45. Panda Express has an average check of
$4.16.

Rubio’s Baja Grill, which has been open for seven weeks, is a
Mexican restaurant specializing in fish tacos. La Cucina, scheduled
to open in early January, features pizza and Italian food. Both are
mainstays in malls throughout California.

"We have 56 locations from San Diego to Northridge," said Chris
Zarate, general manager of UCLA’s Rubio’s.

While Rubio’s is mainly a West Coast chain, Sbarro (La Cucina’s
parent restaurant) can be found nationwide.

According to ASUCLA officials, the association chose to bring
outside vendors into its food services because it was less
expensive for the association than starting their own restaurants.
The vendors agreed to pay for a large part of the required
renovations in exchange for being able to lease the space.

Money was not the sole factor bringing in La Cucina and Rubio’s,
however. The two restaurants are upscale in comparison to other
food court mainstays, such as McDonald’s and Hot Dog on a
Stick.

"We wouldn’t have chosen them if students didn’t like them,"
board member Lee said.

When La Cucina is completed, the two restaurants will take the
place of ASUCLA’s cafeteria-style Treehouse, which was torn out
last year to make room for the new restaurants.

The Treehouse employed roughly 30 to 40 students. Currently, out
of Rubio’s 25 employees, only two are students.

The lower student employment number in the new restaurants is
"not for lack of trying," said ASUCLA Executive Director Patricia
Eastman. "(ASUCLA) conducted a study which showed that there are
more student positions than students to fill them."

"I only received six applications from students," said Rubio’s
manager Zarate.

Zarate expects student employment to improve as the year
progresses and Rubio’s establishes itself.

Despite the low student employment at the restaurants, there has
not been a decrease in student employment in UCLA Restaurants as a
whole. Job losses at Treehouse were made up for in higher student
employment at ASUCLA’s other restaurants.

"By closing the Treehouse, we’re able to do a better job filling
student positions ­ just in fewer facilities," Eastman
said.

With the exception of the delayed opening of La Cucina, the
restaurants in Terrace Food Court have met expectations, and hopes
are high for the future.

"I expect customer count to go up once La Cucina opens up," said
Bob Williams, ASUCLA associate food services director. "There is a
lot of excitement, and I think sales will increase."

Rubio’s is also satisfied with the deal.

"It’s everything we’ve expected," Zarate said."Sales are doing
well, and we’re seeing more and more new faces."DAVID HILL

Rubio’s Baja Grill opened on time while, because of delays,
other restaurants such as La Cucina did not in the newly renovated
Terrace Food Court.

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