It seems like it was only yesterday that my friends and I would stare at the seniors holding Vito’s pizza boxes with envy as they came back from lunch. We underclassmen seemed to be itching to get that senior privilege to go off-campus during lunch and eat where we wanted. Now, as senior year commences, the idea of eating out for lunch has, surprisingly lost much of its allure. More days than not do friends plead, “I don’t feel like walking all the way to the garage,” or, “That place is too far, we won’t have time to eat!” The majority of the time, at the Pine, time is of the essence, and that extra 15 minutes lost going to lunch off-campus could be used to squeeze in some extra study time before a Functions test.  Senior Elana Rubin often sacrifices taste preferences for that time to do homework, “I don’t always like what is served at lunch but not going off-campus gives me time to finish work since 4^th is one of my only free periods.” She definitely has a valid point and with all the dining options at PC, there are many perks to eating at school.

With the newly opened Café in the student union, in addition to the cafeteria and student store, students have more dining venues than ever. Looking at the opportunity cost could help us weigh our options to see if taking advantage of senior privilege is really worth it. The opportunity cost is given up to obtain something else; in this example, precious study time can be lost for a cup of coffee. If you aren’t particularly a coffee connoisseur and don’t value a cup of coffee from Starbucks more than a coffee from the café, the opportunity cost of going to Starbucks (such as  30 minutes cramming for a vocabulary test) is far too high, and it would be favorable to satisfy your caffeine craving on campus. If thinking in Micro/Macroeconomics terms is the last thing you want to do right now though, here’s the lowdown on where to eat off campus:

1.  Panera

-Located on Federal highway, it’s only a five minute drive from school.

-Large selection of food, whether it’s cookies or soup you’re craving.

-Reasonable prices

2.  Teejay Thai and Sushi

-Also in the same shopping complex on federal, so distance isn’t an issue.

-Delicious sushi—no question about it.

-Ordering in advance is a necessity for take-out since there isn’t enough time to eat there.

-A little pricey

3.  Chipotle

-Located farther down Federal Highway; it’s fast paced but still safe and within the speed limit.

-Awesome burritos and guacamole, plus a lot of value for your money.

-Inexpensive

4. Einstein Bros Bagels

-Five-minutes from school, so there’s plenty of time to eat and get back to class.

-Bagels, muffins, and some other bagel sandwich options

-Unfortunately, not much variety in terms of non-breakfast food.

-Inexpensive

5. Starbucks

-Ten-minutes from school, but don’t risk spending more than five minutes eating there; traffic is unpredictable.

-Awesome coffees, teas, and baked goods

-Fairly inexpensive

6. Chicken Kitchen

-About five minutes from school, so there is plenty of time to sit down and eat.

-Rice, chicken, plantains, and other food to satisfy your Spanish food cravings

-Inexpensive

With some of these options in mind, seniors can start navigating the off campus lunch scene with ease.