Healthy C-Store options a success

The C-Store recently started offering vegan and vegetarian products. An initial supply of around 120 meals, which were purchased a couple weeks before Thanksgiving, sold out by Thanksgiving break.

<p>The C-Store recently started offering vegetarian and vegan options for students. (Patrick Roche/TommieMedia) </p>
The C-Store recently started offering vegetarian and vegan options for students. (Patrick Roche/TommieMedia)

Junior Kristian Bjerk and senior Paul Jay both like the idea that the store is offering the options to its customers.

“I think it’s a nice touch,” Jay said. “It shows even though vegetarians and vegans are probably a small minority of the student population, they care enough about them to give them some options.”

Bjerk said it is a good thing that students have the meal options, even if he is not a vegan, and it does not apply to him directly.

The move is a result of the C-Store’s changing venue. The store will relocate to the new student center. Store supervisor Joshua Moldenhauer wanted to test different product’s viability before making the move.

“I kind of wanted to make sure going into the new building that we weren’t just firing into the dark,” Moldenhauer said.

The meals are part of a ‘macrobiotic’ line of products. Each sells for around $3 -5. Some options include spinach, sesame, udon and vegetarian noodles. Two types of vegetarian sushi and different kinds of dumplings are also offered.

The store currently suffers from a lack of space, specifically refrigeration.The product’s testing was a way to determine the most efficient use of space.

“Ironically there will be about the same amount of space (in the student center), but we will have more control over it,” Moldenhauer said.

The trial run was a success, and Moldenhauer said the products will move with the store to the new building.

“We will also be looking to expand into other areas as well for other products and meals,” Moldenhauer said.

Patrick Roche can be reached at roch6667@stthomas.edu.