Students Can’t Stomach Spike in Food Prices

By: Maureen Guirguis
@maureenguirguis

A correction in food prices has caught some students on campus by surprise.

The Catering Co. Kitchen increased prices of some food items by as much as 20 percent in a move its managers say is to compensate for reduced prices last Spring.

Until last semester, the medium sized salad cost EGP 20, whereas the large serving was EGP 25. Now they only serve the large portion for EGP 30, a setup which seems to infuriate students.

“The amount in a medium salad would suffice as a good lunch meal for me because it had all the essential nutrients but now, I’m forced to pay more for something I’m not going to finish,” said Architectural Engineering Sophomore Veronica Nashaat.

Essam Elseek, Food and Beverage Director of The Catering Co. Kitchen, told The Caravan that this decision was made because most students used to order the small salad and add too many components that the lid wouldn’t close. The company figured that a bigger serving would be more efficient and practical.

“Since we’re the main student café on campus, we had to hold our prices low and then later, we would regulate them. This was our deal with the food services office,” he said.

Food Service Office Senior Director Wafaa Sadek says the challenge of higher prices has become an issue for most Egyptians.

“Prices of all food items and raw materials have been subject to recurring increases in the Egyptian market at large,” she stated. To understand the situation, what happens in the market “cannot be ignored,” Sadek stressed.

Due to these economic factors, the Food Office allowed for the pricing changes in The Catering Co Kitchen this September, to compensate for the eatery’s slowdown during the last few months.

Cilantro increased prices by under 10 percent while Butcher’s Burger raised prices by three percent.

Butcher’s Burger now serves burger sandwiches without fries.

“This way, students who don’t wish to eat fries can enjoy a cheaper sandwich at their appeal,” a Butcher’s Burger cashier said.

“Although prices increased, sales haven’t dropped in numbers. In fact, freshmen are likely to buy food from campus because they don’t have a reference price, while older students might start eating from off campus,” said John Hendi, Mechanical Engineering Senior.