The Truax Marketplace is a place to talk to friends, work on homework and of course, eat. With all the changes throughout the building over the last two years the marketplace is one of the places that has stayed the same except for the prices.

Over the last two years prices have been reduced across the board, and some things have been added or removed from the menu.

Terrie Thorstad, director of auxiliary services, said that “the only thing we do not reduce are things like energy drinks and soda, we don’t really set the prices for soda, Coca-Cola does.”

When these changes occurred, the chief financial officer supported them because the marketplace is an enterprise and needs to at least break even, and hopefully make a profit.

“We changed a lot of food prices over the last two years, almost everything,” Thorstad said.

Thorstad said what originally started this adjustment of prices is the profit margin per item was too high and the sales were too low.

Jason Walker, executive chef, said he examined what the Marketplace paid and what was charged to students. At that point, for every one order of French Fries they were selling three burgers, something that was unusual if you were a student. At that time, a salad was 39 cents an ounce, so putting cauliflower on it was going to cost $7 or $8.

The changes that came were a result of different surveys, sometimes at point of service and sometimes with the aid of the Student Senate. Two years ago the menu was composed of mainly junk food, and was expensive. It was found that students wanted to have a choice, so a rotating menu was started and healthier foods were introduced. A pasta bar was even introduced due to the interest from students because pasta is relatively cheap and filling.

“Students want the option of junk food, healthy food (and) they don’t want the same thing every day,” Thorstad said.

Thorstad also said that the Whole Bowl and the WolfPack Den had food that was relatively cheap for what you got. Now students in the baking program make all the baked goods in the Marketplace, as making that food is now a part of the curriculum.