University Star

Texas State officials should consider adding a McDonald’s in the near future to improve campus dining profits, increase meal variety and ease convenience for students.

John Root, director of auxiliary services, said daily profits at Lyndon’s U Club sometimes fall below $100, according to a Jan. 22 University Star article. These figures are unacceptably low. Instead of continuing to pay the upkeep on a seemingly unprofitable restaurant, Chartwells officials should implement a well-known dining outlet such as McDonald’s to help attract more business.

Chin-Hong Chua, Chartwells resident district manager, said a McDonald’s on campus would not be out of the question. Chua said Chartwells has partnerships and franchise relationships with McDonald’s and other companies such as Starbucks, Papa John’s and Subway.

McDonald’s would without doubt rake in profit if established at Texas State. It is important for the university’s eateries to remain profitable in order to support student and San Marcos employees. Most importantly, the university must maintain a variety of competitive dining options, especially considering the host of other restaurants in town students can choose from. University officials should consider getting rid of the unprofitable and unpopular U Club and instead establish a McDonald’s in its place.

There is no greater symbol of American capitalism than McDonald’s, save maybe Coca-Cola or Disney. McDonald’s plays a positive role in the communities where it does business, including San Marcos. Since 1985, the Ronald McDonald House Charities National Scholarship Program has provided over $44 million for college students demonstrating financial need, according to collegescholarships.org. 

Some people may argue that there is an oversaturation of McDonald’s restaurants in San Marcos. However, none of the McDonald’s in the city are easily accessible to on-campus residents lacking cars. Students who only have a 30-minute break between classes may not have time to drive to another location, and McDonald’s is a viable alternative to the campus’ current fast food dining options. 

McDonald’s is also a leading force in globalization, an essential part of this year’s Common Experience theme. The golden arches are found in every major corner of the world.  In many ways, McDonald’s is a point of international unity. McDonald’s can be found in 119 countries according to a Dec. 7, 2012 Business Insider article. Additionally, McDonald’s employs 761,000 people worldwide, according to an April 20, 2012 Business Insider article.

Despite all of the company’s positive points, McDonald’s is not mistake-free. However, many critics of McDonald’s unfairly cite issues that are the consumer’s responsibility as faults on the company’s part instead.

Critics of McDonald’s business practices like to cite the 2004 documentary “Supersize Me” to prove how the fast-food chain is promoting unhealthy eating practices. These critics ignore cases like those of Merab Morgan and Chris Coleson. Morgan dropped 37 pounds by eating only at McDonald’s for 90 days, according to an Aug. 12, 2005 Associated Press article published on the NBC News website. Coleson likewise lost 80 pounds after six months of only eating at McDonald’s, according to a June 19, 2008 ABC News article.

Eating habits are the responsibility of the individual, and people should be free to choose to eat at McDonald’s if they want. With that said, every individual is responsible for their own health and eating at McDonald’s does not have to mean choosing to eat a Big Mac for every meal. There are also healthy options available at the fast food chain, and it is possible to eat at McDonald’s daily without gaining weight. It depends on the individual to make healthy choices or not, and it is not the responsibility of the government or anyone else to intervene.

The university should look into establishing a McDonald’s on campus, thereby improving the profitability, variety and convenience of campus dining.