Off-Campus Meal Plan links SU to local restaurants

CNY Business Journal (1996+), Sep 16, 2005 by Duffett, Claire

SYRACUSE - Syracuse University (SU) students seeking to eat something more exciting than just another dining-hall burger now have a new option.

Off-Campus Meal Plan, Inc. (OCMP), a private, Massachusettsbased provider of vending cards usable at area restaurants that automatically deduct cash from a parent-controlled bank account, has begun offering its college-meal-plan card at SU this semester.

OCMP has no contract with the university, and its offer is an independent supplement to SU-provided plans, Michael Hauke, spokesman at OCMP, says.

SU has mandatory meal plans for all first-year students and second-year North Campus residents. The cheapest plan SU freshmen can request is the 14-meal-per-week plan, costing $2,375 per semester, according to the 2005 Syracuse University Housing & Meal Plan Agreement. OCMP's 14-meal plan - which students seeking more dining variety buy in addition to the SU plan - costs $1,245.99 per semester.

OCMP is in discussion with SU to provide a joint plan, Hauke says.

"We're not a replacement for the meal plan on campus. We're here to help [SU] become more attractive in the minds of [prospective] students," says Hauke. "We would love to be working with the school."

OCMP management has had several meetings with representatives from SU's Office of Housing, Meal Plan, and ID Cards, and hopes to offer a plan in conjunction with SUpercard FOOD account, the university-sponsored, meal-plan subsidy account, limited to on-campus, foodservice locations and vending machines, he adds.

OCMP's meal plan attaches a dollar value to each meal, with a $6, or one-meal minimum. Each restaurant decides how much one "meal" is worth, Hauke explains. The plan is flexible, and students who purchase a 14-meal-per-week plan can use half a meal on a small breakfast, and one and a half meals on a dinner.

OCMP allows students to venture down to Marshall Street, but still under their parents control, Hauke says. The plan "absolutely does not" allow students to purchase alcohol, he adds.

Participating area restaurants include Ambrosia, Baja Burrito, Blue Tusk, Chuck's Cafe, El Saha, Franco's Pizzeria & Deli, Jimmy John's Gourmet Subs, King David's Restaurant, Phoebe's, P.J. Dorsey's, Quizno's Subs, Samraat Indian Restaurant, Stella's Diner, Syra-Juice Juice Bar & Eatery, The Mission, Varsity Pizza, and ZJ's Pizza.

Available plans range from two to three meals per week, costing $239.34 per semester, to the 19-meal plan, a total of 266 meals for $1,683.67 per semester. The OCMP card functions like a standard credit card, and the company earns a profit by charging an 8.7-percent flat rate on transactions, Hauke explains.

OCMP started planning its expansion to SU several years ago, when the firm began receiving student and parent requests for the service, Hauke says. OCMP looks at off-campus student spending and surveys area restaurants to find potentially lucrative markets. The company relies on about 200 student representatives throughout the country to market the service to their peers.

While still a student at University of Massachusetts-Amherst, David Diana founded OCMP in 1995. Diana wanted an alternative to his own meal plan, Hauke says. Today, OCMP has expanded from UMass to more than 40 campuses nationwide. He declined to disclose annual, revenue. The firm's 3,500 square foot headquarters is located in Boston, and the firm also has a marketing branch in Hoboken, N.J. OCMP has about 12 full-time employees, Hauke says.