Yonit Shames
Published March 30 2005
The current vendor for the eatery at the Student Center, Pirates Galley, may not have its contract renewed at the end of this year, according to administrators.
The eatery and the bookstore in the Student Center are both given contracts to run their businesses. At the end of each contract, the school takes bids from all interested parties and chooses which bidder to award the contract.
Shirley’s Deli, the current vendor for the Pirates Galley, is currently on a three-year contract that is almost expired, Angie Jones of Student Activities said.
Apparently, said Jones, there’s another vendor that is interested in bidding this year. The vendor says that it will provide more substantial meals, such as dinners, soups, salads and hot plate lunches.
Those who have frequented the Pirates Galley have varying opinions of it.
Students Seann Ryan and Chris Connell both said that the food is good, but that they didn’t have any particular attachment to the Pirates Galley.
“The prices are ok, but they don’t have a variety of food. [The menu] is kind of limited,” Jeremy Mason, a business major, said. He eats there about once a week and said that a new venue, with more of a selection of food, would probably be better.
“I’ve been going to school off and on since 1998 and they’ve had the same menu,” student Sam McLean said. Despite this, he emphasized that the food and service are good, so he believes it would be better to leave the eatery the way it is.
Jones said that before deciding what to do with the bids, the administration would like student input on this issue. The SGA will be conducting a survey to see how students feel about the eatery. Students are requested to fill it out and drop it in one of the blue suggestion boxes that are placed throughout Pensacola campus.
