Fast Food Franchises have Become Staples at America’s Universities
What’s the most popular food on college campuses? If you do a cursory search, the results are unsurprising. Like most Americans, college students love pizza, frozen yogurt, chicken wings, French fries, macaroni and cheese, and burgers.
The cost of a meal plan (a prepaid account that gives students access to all dining services on campus) typically ranges between $3,000 and $5,500 for an academic year, with the most expensive plans reaching $9,000-plus, according to U.S. News.
In addition to receiving an education, food is an important part of the college experience. In fact, food service is one of the top three reasons students pick universities, according to a college administrator quoted by The New York Times. And many fan-favorite fast food franchises, including Dunkin’, Chick-fil-A, McDonald’s, Human Bean, Jersey Mike’s and Roy Rodgers are proving to be tasty alternatives to going to the dining hall.
Below, we take a look at fast food franchise options offered by some of America’s universities.
Fast Food Franchise Options at Universities
Boston University
Fast Food Franchises at University: There’s a world of food options at Boston University, according to the university’s website. In addition to sushi and halal options, students can enjoy pizza from Domino’s Pizza, pastries and coffee from Dunkin’ and Starbucks, bagels from Einstein Bros. Bagels, and comfort food from Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers.
Famous Alumni: Famous alumni of Boston University include civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., actress Marisa Tomei, comedian Paul Reubens, actor Jason Alexander and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy.
Purdue University
Fast Food Franchises at University: Fast food franchises at Purdue University include Jersey Mike’s, Saladworks, Starbucks, QDOBA Mexican Eats and Panera Bread.
Famous Alumni: Astronaut Neil Armstrong, retired NFL star and entrepreneur Drew Brees, comedian and actor Jim Gaffigan and U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) all attended Purdue University.
Rutgers University
Fast Food Franchises at University: According to Rutgers University’s website, students at the New Brunswick location can enjoy Panera Bread at the Busch and College Avenue Campuses. In the mood for some Mexican food? Busch Campus also has a Moe’s Southwest Grill location. Students at the Livingston Campus can enjoy some coffee and breakfast food from Starbucks.
Famous Alumni: Notable Scarlet Knights include actor James Gandolfini, economist Milton Friedman, FIFA Women’s World Cup champion Carli Lloyd, singer and activist Paul Robeson and meteorologist Dylan Dreyer.
Texas A&M University
Fast Food Franchises at University: Hungry Texas A&M University students don’t have to look further than the school’s dining map to find a bite to eat. In addition to staples like Starbucks and McDonald’s, students also can enjoy Chick-fil-A, Smoothie King, Einstein Bros. Bagels and Salata.
Famous Alumni: Actress Eva Longoria, football player Von Miller, former U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry, author Neal Boortz, and baseball player Alex Wilson were students at Texas A&M University.
University of California, San Diego
Fast Food Franchises at University: UC San Diego has a complete list of eateries on its website. cFranchises that made the list include Burger King, Curry Up Now, Dirty Birds, Jamba and Subway. Fun fact: Subway debuted its Grab & Go artificial-intelligent fridge unit in September 2022 at the university with “extremely positive” reviews.
Famous Alumni: Actor James Avery, author Raymond E. Feist, astronaut Kathleen Rubins and actress Marion Ross are some famous individuals who attended UC San Diego.
University of Miami
Fast Food Franchises at University: Studying for exams and participating in school clubs and activities can make any student hungry. Students at University of Miami have a variety of options to satiate their hunger. Halal and Chinese food options are a given, but students also can get sandwiches from Subway, smoothies from Smoothie King and breakfast from Einstein Bros. Bagels.
Famous Alumni: Actor and wrestler Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, retired NFL quarterback Jim Kelly and singer Gloria Estefan attended the University of Miami.
