By Michele Richinick

Students would like to see food vendors like Panera Bread, Subway or Quiznos Subs on campus, according to the results of a recent survey administered by the Student Government Association (SGA) on the myNEU portal.

The purpose of the survey was to see how satisfied students are with the current food vendors on campus, said Chris Bourne, SGA vice president for student services.

“We want to make sure they are happy with what is here and see what they want,” he said. “We do [the surveys] when there is talk about people being unsatisfied with some of the options.”

The results of the survey, which almost 2,000 students participated in, showed that of the food vendors currently on campus, students were satisfied with Chicken Lou’s the most, said SGA senator Ryan Fox, SGA assistant vice president for student services. For new vendors, students would like to see Panera Bread in place of Au Bon Pain, and Subway or Quiznos Subs in place of D’Angelos.

Some students, like Rebecca Frank, a freshman communication studies major, said they are relatively satisfied with the current food vendors on campus, but would like to see more restaurants take the Husky Card, like T.G.I. Friday’s.

“I really like Au Bon Pain, but it’s definitely a bit expensive …” she said. “I never really go to the [Curry Student Center] food court because all that food is pretty unhealthy. I would definitely like to see a Panera on campus. ”

The survey also looked at students’ opinions about the new restaurant location and food options available in the new residence halls, Parcel 18, Fox said. This development is slated to open in Fall 2009.

Finally, the survey asked about students’ overall ranking of each food vendor on campus and how satisfied they are, Fox said.

Each year, the Student Center Governing Board (SCGB), a committee of students within SGA, gathers student input regarding vendors on campus, said Philomena Mantella, senior vice president for enrollment and student life. SCGB has access to data that shows the participation levels that vendors, like Supercuts, STA travel and all of the food vendors get, she said.

SCGB uses the data and the student recommendations for new vendors for their annual proposals to the senior leadership of the administration during the budget approval cycle, Mantella said. Administrators work with SGA to review the SCGB recommendations and incorporate as much as they can into the annual process, Mantella said.

Some students, like Rachel Esteban, a freshman anthropology major, said they don’t eat at the food vendors often because they aren’t the best options.

“I would like to see some slightly healthier options become available,” she said.

Currently, no plans for new food vendors are final, but SGA is looking at contracts the current food vendors have with the university to see if they could be replaced, Fox said.

“We might do a little more surveying and outreach to see if there are other options,” Fox said.