Beginning in January, students will have access to one more Subway on campus. | Justin Tijerina/The Daily Cougar
Students will have another dining location in January when Subway opens its doors inside the Cougar Xpress Market of Calhoun Lofts.
“We explored several locations on campus, but Calhoun Lofts was the best fit in terms of proximity to the UC and space availability,” said Amber Arguijo, the marketing manager of UH System Dining.
Vocal performance and music education junior Gregory Brigham, who lives in the Lofts, said residents are pleased about the new restaurant.
“From whom I’ve talked to who lives at the Lofts, they are excited. I’m personally excited, because I love Subway and I won’t have to travel so far away to get food,” Brigham said.
The flow of traffic in the former location at the University Center was key to the decision of opening a new Subway on campus, Arguijo said.
“Subway was one of the most popular locations in the UC, so it was only fitting that we try to find it another home on campus,” Arguijo said.
Undeclared sophomore Gabriela Custodio said she is glad students will have additional meal choices.
“I thinks its a healthier choice, because all we have at UH is junk food. We don’t really have too many options for healthy food,” Custodio said.
Despite the positive feedback, pre-pharmacy sophomore Jamaal Bailey said business will probably build slowly for the new restaurant.
“At first, it’s not gonna have a lot of people, but eventually when word gets out, people are gonna go and get sandwiches,” Bailey said.
Brigham said the restaurant’s location might affect its popularity.
“It just depends if the people that love Subway can find it in the Lofts, just like there’s a Starbucks in the business school that nobody knows about,” Brigham said.
Custodio said that even though the location of the restaurant doesn’t work for her, she’s happy the school made the choice of building a new Subway on campus.
“I would prefer Subway over some fast food restaurant chain because we have enough of those already,” Custodio said.
The new restaurant will benefit students in a variety of ways, Arguijo said. Its goal is to ensure they have convenient, affordable access to dining.
“This takes one more worry off of their minds and allows them to focus on what is important — getting a good education,” Arguijo said.
“We are always working to provide students with quality, convenience, value and variety.”
Why do we need another Subway? We have one next to the Textbook Brokers store and another one in the law school and the one that was in the UC is not even worth mentioning (that location has so many health code violations, I’m surprised it hasn’t been shut down).
How about having some different fast food options open up? A Burger King perhaps or even a healthier option would be better, at least something different that we don’t have on campus already?