Prime vs. The Students

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By: Matthew Fiebke

Staff Writer

Prime Business Dining, a division of Mazzone Hospitality, claims to provide an affordable variety of food. Do students agree?

Most college students are in debt and don’t think that Prime’s food options are affordable.

Sales and Operations Manager for Prime at HVCC, Jessica Henesy, disagrees.

“A lot of our items [prices] are not far off from the places off campus,” Henesy claims. “You can go across the street and grab a burger from a place like Wendy’s, [but] we use higher quality ingredients. For example, our burgers are Pat LaFrieda …  a really high quality of beef used, and a better tasting burger,” she said.

Many students believed the quality of food doesn’t justify the price of it.

“I do appreciate the food being higher quality, but I eat food regardless of the quality,” Lauren Brathwayite, business administration student said.

She said, “I don’t think [the quality of Prime has] gotten better and I don’t think it’s gotten worse … I always thought it was a little bit on the bland side. Not bad, but it’s not particularly flavorful.”

“I usually just bring my lunch because it’s super cheap, but if I’m lazy and don’t cook I’ll get lunch here,” says Destiny Pizzolla, a digital media student. “I think it’s good, but I think it’s really expensive and I really don’t think it’s worth the price. I paid $10 for a burrito and honestly, Taco Bell tastes way better and they’re half the price of that,” she said.

Pizzolla says, “I feel like I understand the logic behind [higher prices for higher quality food], but I really don’t think it’s that good of quality for it to be that expensive.”

So how exactly do the prices at HVCC compare to the nearby alternatives?

Prime’s sandwiches range from $6.49 – $6.99 depending on the selection. An Asiago Chicken Ranch sandwich is $5.49 at Wendy’s.

Prime’s sandwich prices are lower compared to Deli and Brew. An Italian mix from Deli and Bre varies from $7.49 – $11.49 depending on size. Prime’s sandwichs range between $6.49 – $6.99. Deli and Brew’s sandwiches tend to be larger than Prime’s though.

Out of the three, Prime’s salads are cheapest at $5.99. Wendy’s full-size Spicy Chicken Caesar salad is $6.69. Deli and Brew’s salads are the highest priced at $6.99 for a Garden salad and $7.99 for a Grilled Chicken salad.

By far one of the most adored Prime menu items is pizza. Pizza in New York is sacred, nothing compares. New Yorkers know their pie, so the bar is set high.

Luis Marmolejo, an exercise science major said, “The pizza, I think, could be a little bit better.”

Prime offers a combo deal of two slices of cheese pizza and a drink for $4.99. Deli and Brew’s menu showed no comparison. However, each individual cheese slice runs for $1.85 each and  Prime’s individual slices are $1.99 each.

When it comes down to it, Prime’s pricing are a mixed bag compared to other options. When compared and contrasted to other restaurants’ items and quality, Prime does well in some areas and worse in others.

In the end, the smartest way to keep your wallet full is to bring your own lunch from home.