Possible expansion of local businesses on MOPS

More restaurants may be soon added to the Merchants on Points System (MOPS). The MOPS is being reviewed by the Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate and by Dining Services to determine which restaurants are most desirable to students.

Jeff Katzin, a member of the Services Committee of the Senate, said that an additional two establishments may be added to MOPS.

Katzin also mentioned the recent survey which was just sent to the student body yesterday. Students were asked to select one of 11 restaurants which they would like to see added to MOPS.

"It is just a means through which we can present Patti Klos, the director of Dining Services, with some numbers showing student preferences" Katzin said.

Klos emphasizes the importance of this survey, as it will be used to make any decisions regarding the points system. "I ask the students to take responsibility for soliciting input, such as surveys, and then they bring me the data through the Services Committee. We get a high level of participation from those surveys, so we assume that this is a high representation of student interest."

Andrea's Pizzeria owner Bob Iliopoulos says that his business suffers because he is not on the system. "We have a lot of choices, we have good service, quality food, and we have no complaints. We are doing well in residential areas and the businesses around but not well at Tufts because of the Points problem."

Iliopoulos critiqued the MOPS system saying "they send their students first to places with the points program, which isn't fair for the area. We're in the Tufts area and we don't get enough business from Tufts students. We try every year to get in because we have this points problem."

He complained that every year he attempts to join but is not allowed. This is because MOPS is limited to only four restaurants. "I'm not on the points system. We try every year, we ask and they say they have only four accounts and that if something is open maybe they will give it to us," he said.

This year he attempted a different strategy by obtaining student signatures on a petition to join. "I have over a thousand signatures and this week I'm going to send it with a letter again to ask if I can join the points program." The petition book was handed to students when they received deliveries and when they picked up orders or ate at Andrea's Boston Avenue restaurant.

Klos acknowledges that while this is not the general procedure, "It's not the first time that a restaurant has had a petition. However, it's not the only indicator."

She feels that what students are looking for is variety and "unless a restaurant has other unique food items, it just may not be what's needed."

The procedure of adding businesses is made complicated by the paperwork necessary for orders placed through MOPS.

Katzin explains, "It is fairly simple to actually make the addition to points for the University. The problem arises in the paperwork."

Dining Services reviews every single order charged to points. Katzin said "there have been discussion with Patti Klos about perhaps outsourcing the paperwork, allowing us to add many more establishments, but as with most things, there is the issue of cost."

Another aspect of the change is the need to reevaluate the campus dining usage such as "the number of students still dining on campus, and the hours of on-campus eateries," Katzin noted.

Klos said, "It has not been determined if any more businesses will be added, but we like to keep this information current on a regular basis anyway because unfortunately, sometimes due to unforeseen circumstances a restaurant will have to pull out of the points program."

"Local establishments including Andrea's Pizzeria, Pizzeria Uno's, Pranzi's Pizzeria and others have expressed interest in being added to the system. We have also been looking at other places including Mr. Crepe, Pasta Pisa, Zing Wings, Redbones, and Tasty Gourmet," Katzin said.

For merchants interested in increasing business from Tufts students, adding their establishments to MOPS is a way to ensure increased traffic and visibility on the campus.

Klos stresses the importance of "as many students as possible answering the surveys so there is statistically significant, honest feedback. The Senate Committee does seem to have breadth of representation, but we still need as much representation as possible to make the best decision for the biggest number of students."

Services Committee members sophomores Katzin, John Valentine, and Ed Kalafarski are leading the initiative to expand MOPS.