Improved food service neglects key turkey burger demographic

Written By Jane McAnallen, Copy Editor

With the introduction of a new service provider there are always some bumps in the road, and that holds true with our new food service provider, CulinArt Group.

As a new commuter, I don’t go to the Point Café as often as I used to. I grab some grub between classes occasionally, but opt for the sub shop around the corner if the line seems exhaustingly long. Nonetheless, I have been impressed with our new food service, namely the gorgeous menus and tantalizing new (and just newly named) items.

But all the fancy signs in the world can’t hide their dark underbelly.

Once freshman or sophomore year, I arrived in the Point Café to purchase my usual — a quesadilla with onions (always), peppers (almost certainly available) and mushrooms (maybe a myth), when I was greeted by a new menu item, a named soaked in sophistication and visions of a Californian bistro where everything is topped with avocado and sprouts: the turkey burger.

I snapped up the opportunity to sup upon this new delight when starkly, suddenly, I was informed there were none to be had.

As semesters rolled by, I’ve managed to find one or two in the Point Café. Rarely at first, but soon none at all. I eventually stopped asking, moving on from the grille to the deli and there, praying for spinach wraps.

But then came a new era, an era we were assured would end the scourge of Aramark. They brought sleek sophistication, fries shaken at will, pizzas shaped like rectangles and there, on their dark blue menu board sparking hope in the hearts of at least dozens, the turkey burger.

I dared not hope at first, but finally, timidly asked, “Can I get a turkey burger?” But once again hope proved me a fool.

As I settled with my beef burger (it was good) smothered in peppers and onion and mushrooms (things of which I dared not dream), it came to me that we could make this café great again. Specifically by serving turkey burgers.

But alas, our strife is not so simple. This isn’t a mere scheme to fill my plate with turkey burgers. These CulinArt folk will make our lives worse, and I guarantee this, by remodeling the café. This very newspaper reported they plan on tearing down the wall in the middle of the café. We should be building walls in the café! Walls will, and I cannot emphasize this enough, solve literally all of our problems.

Now I have seen some take to anger in the café when their hopes are dashed by unavailable food items, but these chefs are not to blame for this unprecedented turkey burger crisis. They are too restrained by the establishment, entrenched in politics when we have needs. Non-beef burger needs. Wall needs. We need to take this straight to the top of the food pyramid.

I propose we the people of this once great university begin a campaign to tear down this façade, but, and this is important, not any actual physical walls. One food service provider is the same as the other; what we need is a food revolution. Take to your smartphones, my friends, and tweet our grievances directly at our foe. Their time has come, and they will soon fall. Sad!

Join me, and together, we can #MakePointParkTurkeyBurgersAgain.

But overall food-wise, everything is slightly better than it used to be.