Cafeteria Inflation: Food Prices on the Rise

By Leah Maquindang, Jessica Mikhaiel, & Fernanda Lopez

Staff Writers

The cafeteria continuously raises its prices every semester, draining students’ wallets while limiting access to meal diversity. The AVC Cafeteria has been reopened for almost 3 years now, and each semester the prices have been on the rise. Students have reportedly been unhappy with inflation hitting their campus nutrition. Little by little, the amount of money spent does not serve justice to the amount of food received. “6 out of 10 times, the proportions aren’t good. It’s rare to get 'good' cafe food nowadays. When they first opened, it was the best time because they were consistent with what they gave.” Pamela Francisco, a junior who is concerned about the price rise, mentions.

For a while, the Antelope Valley College Cafe was closed, and it was unclear when it would reopen. In the Fall semester of 2023, they ultimately decided to bring back the hot and freshly made food items, including breakfast, lunch meals, and baked goods. At first, students were overjoyed with the price they paid for a decent amount of food. Many express that at one point, they were only paying 75 cents for a box of fries, making it accessible, appetizing, and cheap to be fed. What used to be 75 cents for fries is now $2.50, nearly four times the original cost in just two years.

Many SOAR students rely on the cafeteria as their main source of food throughout the day. While the school gives free lunch, some miss their opportunity to grab it due to class or club limitations.  Pamela continues to explain, “I personally get really busy during breaks, so I don’t always have the time to go get the school-provided lunch, and also sometimes the school food isn’t great.” 

However, the cafe is a business, and business models need to make money. The true business model of the college is unknown, but it is believed that their goal is to have the cafeteria sustain itself to pay their workers for their service properly. Mr. Newman, a common cafe purchaser and teacher at SOAR, expresses that, “I am willing to deal with the price change because when I don’t want to drive, the cafe is conveniently on campus.” He also describes that the convenience is more important to him than the price increase, and he has still been returning to the cafeteria just as frequently. 

“The rising food costs impacting students’ ability to eat balanced meals is definitely a concern that should be addressed.” says Newman. There are students with time and financial restrictions that should be taken into consideration. Newman also believes that the cafeteria should be subsidized so those students are able to afford a low cost meal.

Students who would frequently make their way across campus to get their hot food are now rethinking their lunch choices. Expressing that it is difficult to bring food from home or find a way to properly enjoy what they are putting in their bodies for energy. Especially if there are certain dietary restrictions. “I don’t like going to the cafeteria as much since they raised the prices, and sometimes I skip lunch because the prices are too high.” said Nathan Kim, a junior. 

For now, the cafe continues to serve hot food daily, while raising the prices each semester. Some who previously believed that eating at the cafeteria would meet their needs within their financial budget, now worry that it has just become another overpriced dining option, just like the AVC student store or Subway. Choosing between eating enough and staying within their budget for a slightly better meal has become the reality for many. Students hope that inflation will stop hitting campus meals and that there will be more affordable options for the future semesters to come.