Sodexo coffee prices raises eyebrows

Coffee is a staple for most college students. Lack of money is also a common thread within this group. So when the two are combined, students feel the pressure build.

On the wall of Crosby Café there is a board filled with suggestions. Some ask for special flavors, and others commend the employees on their excellent customer service. Others, however, are complaint cards. One in particular asks for a discount card or a loyalty card because coffee is getting too expensive.

Megan Mitchell, a Crosby Café employee, said these complaints are not just on paper.

"We get a lot of complaints from people just saying we need to lower our prices," Mitchell said.

Sarah Clifford, the marketing manager for Zag Dining by Sodexo, said that Crosby prices have stayed relatively the same over the past year.

"Overall, most of our prices have stayed the same, and there are only a few that have gone up in price and only by a couple of cents," Clifford said.

The white chocolate mocha and chai tea have actually dropped in price since last year, according to Clifford.

Coffee prices at Crosby Café are not just the work of Sodexo employees. Each summer and winter Sodexo analyzes the coffee shops around town to make sure the drinks served on campus are fairly priced.

"We just finished a cost analysis of other local coffee shops to make sure we were competitively priced," Clifford said.

According to Clifford, Crosby Café is able to keep their prices low and competitive for a reason. Sodexo works directly with Craven's Coffee, a Spokane-based coffee production company. Because of the amount of coffee Sodexo purchases from Craven's, the cost stays relatively low. Also, since the company is local, Sodexo doesn't have to pay for shipping.

Unlike Crosby Café, Jazzman's in Cataldo does not serve Craven's Coffee. It is still Sodexo-run, but the coffee served at Jazzman's is all fair trade. They recently introduced the newest blend of coffee, called La Mai, from Thailand. These coffees are not shipped locally, which is why some drink prices at Jazzman's are slightly more expensive.

Although Craven's Coffee is not fair trade certified, it is the next best thing according to Clifford. The owner of Craven's often travels to Costa Rica and works closely with the farmers he is getting his coffee from. Although the coffee does not have that fair trade guarantee, there is still a connection between the workers and the company.

"It just makes everything a little more personal," Clifford said.

Despite some of the lowest prices on coffee in the neighborhood and a socially aware background, students still complain about the prices of coffee at Crosby.

"I only have so much flex so spending it on coffee, which is usually what I want, is hard to do," said junior Madison Bush.

Both Mitchell and Clifford offered advice to these coffee-craving students.

"We have several ways for students to get discounts on coffee and they just have to become aware of them," Clifford said.

One way to reduce the price of a beverage is to bring a reusable mug. If this is done, the cashier will take 35 cents off the drink's price. Crosby also offers a punch card. If a student gets the card punched for every drink, with a double-punch on Tuesdays, their tenth drink is free.

"The punch card may not seem like it's saving you money, but in the long run, if you drink a lot of coffee, it is," Clifford said.

Mitchell said she thought that the punch card would definitely help out those students complaining about the price of their coffee.

"More people should take advantage of the punch card. It's really convenient and it saves you money," Mitchell said.

In addition to these money-saving tips, Crosby Café also offers specials every weekday. They offer a drink of the day at a reduced cost, as well as a promotion that corresponds with the day of the week. All of these promotions are posted at the counter. Sodexo also offers deals for their Facebook fans and Twitter followers. These not only increase their audience, but also help out students.