Our View: Support healthy eating options
January 23, 2014
Over the past few semesters Georgia Southern students have witnessed several changes within Eagle Dining Services. Not only have the two dining halls been renovated, but also Talons Grille has changed their menu and the Pickle Barrel has now closed it doors.
The closing of the Pickle Barrel means that students have one less healthy food option on campus. The Pickle Barrel not only provided students with healthier choices for a quick and affordable snack or lunch, but also sold items that could be used as ingredients for a home cooked meal, which set it apart from other stores and restaurants on campus. Although the Marketplace at Centennial also provides fresh produce, having as many healthy options as possible would benefit students who have a hard time maintaining a nutritious diet while in college.
The space that the Pickle Barrel used to occupy has been renovated into a sitting area with two vending machines. The vending machines may be convenient but the snack food they provide is far from healthy.
Though Dining Services claims that the change had nothing to do with the two new and improved dining halls or the change in meal plans, the steep drop in profit that the Pickle Barrel earned, a decrease from $28,704.64 to $4,871.26 in the monthly average revenue, suggested otherwise.
While Dining Services may have the final say in whether not to keep a business or remodel it, whether or not students are spending their money there is going to influence their decisions. If students want to see healthier eating opinions on campus it is then they need to support the locations on campus that provide them.