The Duke University Student Dining Advisory Committee deliberated Monday on which of next year’s food truck options will be the most palatable to students.
Over a meal provided by Deli-icious, a gourmet panini catering truck from Raleigh, the group listened to owner Susan Tower and considered the possibility of adding the truck to the list of dining options. The truck was given high marks by the group, as several members expressed their satisfaction with the food.
“I would go to this place every day,” sophomore DUSDAC member Abhi Shah said. “We should heavily consider them. They are on top of their game.”
Some members of the group expressed concern about the truck’s similarity to Foster’s, another popular food truck that also specializes in sandwiches.
“[Deli-icious doesn’t] just do sandwiches, but sandwiches are their big ploy,” junior DUSDAC member Ben Wang said.
Tower said that although the truck mainly served sandwiches, its versatility set it apart from others. She said the company was capable of serving all different kinds of food, from dumplings to sweet potato french toast.
“I know that there are a lot of trucks that do sandwiches, but I don’t really find us to be the same [as other trucks],” Tower said.
Senior Marissa Medine, external vendors chair for DUSDAC, said that variety was important given that only seven food truck spots are available for next year. She said some of this year’s trucks will likely return next year, but she did not know which were most likely.
“We are hoping to do a pretty comprehensive dining survey to look beyond the numbers and see what the students actually want,” she said.
Deli-icious has some experience serving college campuses, as it spent some time on North Carolina State University’s campus. Despite its popularity with the students there, it was forced to leave for financial reasons, Tower said.
Some DUSDAC members said they were concerned to hear about Tower’s history with universities and worried that Deli-icious may not accept an offer on financial grounds, citing Duke’s policy of taking 17 percent of food truck revenue. NCSU charged a $500 flat rate per year.
DUSDAC co-Chair Chris Taylor, a senior, said he was optimistic about Deli-icious’s prospects despite potential financial challenges.
“A percentage is a more normal thing to do [than a flat rate],” he said.
Shah said he had a larger concerns to worry about.
“[Deli-icious] is such a terrible name,” he said.
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