A student special costing more than $6 at the Refectory Cafe and no more fish fillets at The Loop are just two of the changes students could face if campus eateries alter their menus and prices based on recent market inflation.
"We have not formed a strategy yet," Director of Dining Services Jim Wulforst said. "We're hoping the price of gas comes down, but the anticipation is we'll do the normal 3- to 3.5-percent increase [per year] based on the Consumer Price Index."
The U.S. is struggling with the worst food inflation in 17 years, forcing many grocery stores and eateries to increase their prices. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, food prices rose 4 percent in 2007, compared to an average 2.5 percent annual rise in the last 15 years.
Wulforst said all changes to on-campus vendor menus and dining hall prices will be reviewed and finalized at a Dining Services meeting in August.
"We're going to try not to raise prices on most items, we'll watch and see how the market plays out because it will level off at some point," The Loop owner Dennis Lane said. "You can't operate a business and lose money on items-the model doesn't work."
Harvard University pulled whole grain pasta from its dining menu in May, despite its $35 billion endowment and reputation as one of the wealthiest colleges in the nation. The university also substituted cherry tomatoes with wedges and chicken breasts with thighs.
While some colleges have steadily increased menu prices, others have eliminated trays on the theory that students will take less without them.
For Duke, Wulforst said he plans to avoid any portion or size decreases.
"The last thing I would want for any of those vendors to do, though, is compromise in quality because that's usually what happens-to buy a cheaper grade in milk, cheaper grade in eggs," he said.
In the last three months, the price for a case of eggs has increased from $25 to $35 and the cost of frying oil has nearly doubled, he added. Reports from the U.S. Department of Agriculture show that costs of milk and dairy products jumped 13 percent in the last year and chicken and other poultry nearly 7 percent.
In addition to market inflation, Wulforst said high gas prices are also taking a toll on total costs with newly implemented transportation surcharges anywhere from $20 to $50.
Laura Hall, owner of Von Vivant Catering, which operates the Refectory, said the restaurant has maintained steady prices for three years and hopes to absorb as much of the cost increase as possible, but some of the costs will have to be passed on to customers.
"What we're trying to do now is negotiate with suppliers and farmers and hopefully have considerably more volume and see what we can do," she said. "But if they increase the prices of the wrap by 5 percent, and the greens go up and the meats go up, then it'll be very hard to keep [the student special] under $6. We want it to be a great value."
Lane said despite facing cost increases between 9 and 15 percent, The Loop will likely terminate fish items on the menu because of high tilapia prices.
The chain restaurant is also exploring ways to reduce transportation fees by purchasing more local products.
"If you look at what you can buy on Plan A last year versus Plan A this year, it'll probably cost more at the register," Wulforst said. "But there's nothing going from $3 to $4, the most maybe going from $3 to $3.10."
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