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News that Panda Express is considering a location on the DU campus, where Sidelines Pub is currently located, has provoked a minor uproar.
According to responses on the Clarion website, duclarion.com, and the Clarion Facebook page, students – and the DU community at large – are not receptive to the establishment of Panda Express on campus.
John Nichols, director of the Driscoll Student Center, said that Panda Express does not want to come to campus unless there’s strong student support.
In a poll on duclarion.com, 67 percent of students who voted said they want The Pub to stay, while 10 percent opted to switch Panda Express. Eighteen percent of students chose to eliminate both dining options and find something else, while 6 percent said they were indifferent.
Nichols said that, before Panda Express may move into The Pub’s current location, Chancellor Robert Coombe must approve the change.
“This is by no means a done deal,” Nichols said. “The whole Panda Express thing came up every fast.”
If Panda Express were to open a location on the DU campus, the Chinese food company would invest 100 percent of the funding to renovate the space currently occupied by The Pub, according to Nichols. He estimates the venture would cost Panda Express $700,000 to $800,000.
Panda Express would come onto the DU campus as a partner with Sodexho, DU’s dining service provider.
Employees from Panda Express came to campus yesterday, giving out free samples of food to students outside of Sturm. Students were also asked their thoughts of the possibility of Panda Express establishing a location on campus.
In the past six days, Panda Express’ potential arrival on campus has been met with different responses from the DU community.
“Panda Express is to Asian food as Taco Bell is to Mexican food, a horrible miscarriage of cultural expression,” said one reader on duclarion.com.
“If you want Asian food on campus a chain is not the option, especially not one whose idea of Chinese is bad orange chicken and hard rice,” said another. “The Pub is part of campus!”
A few readers, however, are pro-Panda. “GIVE ME ORANGE CHICKEN OR GIVE ME DEATH,” one reader said.
The DU community acknowledged that The Pub is a part of campus tradition, but it also agrees that something could be better done with the space in Driscoll North.
Nichols said that the concern seems to be that The Pub’s service is not fast enough to meet students’ needs. He acknowledges that The Pub’s operation needs to be reevaluated.
“We need to figure something out,” Nichols said. “The grilling option just takes a long time. It’s kind of a puzzle we have to put together over the summer.”
“Why not have the DU school of restaurant [management] and the school of business take it on..make it a part of the school and donate the profit to scholarships or clubs…or better, keep the pub and give it some love…” said a fourth reader.
“I think [Panda Express at DU] is a mistake. I’d like to hear HRTM’s take on this,” another said. “I’m thinking something like Foster’s near Duke, or a satellite Whole Foods kind of idea.”
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