Food. College students can’t live without it. And for freshmen without kitchens, Marketplace and Knightros seemed like the only place for meal plan – but not anymore!

“I’m not saying it’s better, I’m just saying it’s something different for them, and something healthy,” said Diana Plata, a manager at El Corral who’s starting a meal plan to compete with those offered on campus.

“We basically have a lot of options,” she said, listing off “rice, beans, salad, (and) chicken.”

Junior McGregor Love has a meal plan at the Marketplace, but prefers eating at El Corral, right across from campus.

“The food here – it’s fresh,” Love said. “I enjoy getting the number 1, it’s their standard meal here. … The chicken is seasoned well, and I think it’s pretty healthy food, especially for around campus.”

Love’s thinking of signing up for El Corral’s plan for the quality, and the cheaper price. But convenience is what mattered most for freshman Thomas Hernandez when we asked him if he’d switch from Marketplace to El Corral.

“If they had transportation there, and a service to bring it to me – yeah,” Hernandez said.

Plata said a delivery service is possible, although it’s in the early stages now. She said students interested in a meal plan from El Corral should call to see if it’s available where they live.

That service could convince Hernandez to switch, because he’s not impressed with Marketplace.

“It’s not really that good, but there’s a lot that you can eat,” he said. “A lot is not that tasty, but I do get full off it.”

But others, like Freshman Jonathan Lieberman might stick with Marketplace – he loves it.

“I can explain it best by RFOC – Real Food On Campus,” Lieberman said. “Cause that’s what you’re getting when you go into Marketplace: delicious food, great friends and always a good time.”

Related Links:
El Corral Meal Plan Prices

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