Despite a reported lull in sales at campus eateries this year, students will have yet another dining option beginning this month.
Partnering with Victoria's Sweets, Caribbean Kitchen-a Jamaican restaurant based in New York City-will open a cart on the Plaza Oct. 15.
"We realized that there was really a lack of cultural diversity in the Triangle-there are no Caribbean-themed restaurants," said Caribbean Kitchen Owner Kevin Parris. "Duke University being as multicultural as it is, it's a great place to build that brand, bringing that whole tropical feel, that taste, that sensation."
The Caribbean Kitchen cart will combine the Jamaican home-style cooking with the desserts and coffee from Victoria's Sweets, offering an eclectic blend of a concept that materialized after inspiration from Parris' grandmother-who valued home-cooked and family meals, Parris said.
"We think it's going to be something the students didn't expect-something different from what you already have access to. It's going to bring that diversity and it's going to make you want to try it even if you've never tried or experienced it," he said. "Our whole mantra is Caribbean cuisine with gourmet flair, so it's not what you're used to or think it's going to be."
Freshly prepared items will be delivered to campus every hour to stock the cart, Parrish said, adding that Caribbean Kitchen's menu items will be prepared in the professional kitchen of a restaurant in Raleigh. Eventually, students will be able to order Caribbean Kitchen for delivery and even submit orders online once its Web site is launched.
Sophomores Richard Bracken and Alex Daniels said they are excited by the prospect of a Jamaican concept on campus but do not typically rely on carts for meals.
"I never really like going to the carts because you just go get your food and have to carry it around," Daniels said.
Decreased business at Plaza carts is also a result of more campus dining options for students, Director of Dining Services Jim Wulforst said. He added that the addition of Panda Express has also been considered a contributing factor to slower business, but some campus eateries continue to thrive.
Wulforst said campus eateries have seen about a 4 percent decline in transactions this year, but noted that The Loop and the Great Hall are stronger than last year.
"There's no new business to be had at Duke-we've reached a plateau of sorts," he said. "When new business opens, it takes from another business. There are some people that think it's a bad thing, but I think the campus model works and students will go where they get the best food and best service for the price."
Bracken said Panda Express is "like the Chipotle of Chinese food," adding that he can see why students may be lured to the restaurant and away from the carts. Cosmic Cantina's cart will close by Fall Break, but Wulforst said he does not believe Panda Express has taken customers away from the business.
Other on-campus dining options, such as Tommy's Rubs and Grubs and Bella Union, however, have seen less business for reasons beyond dining competition. Whereas Bella Union once had hundreds of customers from Few Quandrangle, this semester's renovations have caused a drastic cutback in customer traffic, said Bella Union Owner Sam Clowney.
"It's the construction completely [that is hurting us], that's 100 percent of the deal," he said. "Business on campus relies on people close by-it's unlikely that someone living on Central Campus will come by-but there's nothing we can do about it, we just have to live with it."
Clowney noted that he estimates a 30 percent decrease in sales since last year and cites the lack of juniors on West Campus as a reason for fewer returning customers. Still, he said he does not see the slow business as a major problem, adding that he has adjusted accordingly in work wages and in marketing. Wulforst has also helped secure lower product prices, Clowney added.
"Luckily [the construction lasts] only a semester," he said. "There's a sharp decrease in sales, but it's not hurting us so bad that we're not making ends meet, and we're [still] very happy to be here."
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