The Rez, the student-run caf?© booth located near the ATMs in the Mayer Campus Center, is working on a venture to expand its consumer base.
The caf?© is petitioning to be added as a facility that accepts Dining Dollars. Since its conception, The Rez has only accepted Points Plus or cash.
As of Saturday, the as yet un-submitted petition had 247 signatures.
Students often have trouble understanding which types of payments work at Tufts' various eateries, since they can spend Dining Dollars, Points Plus or Vending Points at various locations across campus. Several locations, including the Rez, are only allowed to accept one form of payment.
"It would be great if the Rez were [also] on Dining Dollars because it is in a great location and it would be easier for me to stop by and get coffee before class," freshman Elizabeth Copeland said.
Since The Rez is a student-run caf?©, it is not affiliated with Dining Services, which is why it does not accept Dining Dollars.
Dining Dollars are included in most meal plans, whereas Points Plus have to be purchased separately. Points Plus may be used at almost any location on campus, including the campus bookstore, Tisch Library and Jumbo Express.
Sophomore Sara Gale does not eat at The Rez because she, like many students, does not have Points Plus. "I do not carry cash, I just carry my [student] ID, so I might start using The Rez if they accepted Dining Dollars," she said.
Dining Dollars are accepted at all dining locations run by Tufts Dining Services, including the dining halls, Hodgdon Good-to-Go, the Hotung Caf?©, The Commons and the Tower Caf?©, as well as at select off-campus locations through the Merchants on Points program.
"Most students do not know if they have [Dining Dollars or Points Plus]," which often leads confused students to present IDs that are void of Points, said Ann Scott, a sophomore Rez employee.
If a student does not have cash, The Rez's potential customer is usually lost to a nearby on-campus eatery, most of which do accept Dining Dollars.
"The addition of the Tower Caf?© in Tisch Library, which was added this past summer, is yet more competition for The Rez, since both the library and the campus center are popular areas for students to come buy coffee and study," Scott said. "The fact that the Tower Caf?© is on Dining Dollars may be an added incentive to go for students to choose to study [at Tisch]."
Students have been supportive of The Rez's petition so far.
Other students agree on the difficulty of using Points Plus. "I prefer to use my Dining Dollars because they are part of my meal plan so I do not have to pay extra for them [unlike Points]," sophomore Leanne Andruszkiewicz said.
