I Want My In-N-Out Damnit!

Posted by: Avinash on Tuesday, September 4th, 2007

Is an In-N-Out at UC Berkeley a possibility?

I don’t disparage the Daily Cal news/opinions that often, simply because it’s an exercise in futility (they’re not going to get smarter if I criticize them), and Beetle does a great job of knocking them down a notch anyway. If you want an idea of their crappy analytical abilities, check out their shining Tennessee analysis, which would have been more elucidating if it had been written by bonobos in Swahili. But they occasionally bring up something important, something Cal students would care about.

In the face of lower-than-expected sales since its opening, the Gelateria Naia store located on campus is looking to take on a partner in the coming year.

The gelateria, which debuted in February 2006, is currently in talks with a number of other restaurants and cafes with the hopes of bringing a partner to its location on Lower Sproul Plaza.

Among the possible restaurants that could join the gelateria, Panda Express, the Brazil Cafe and Cafe Intermezzo are being discussed, said ASUC Auxiliary Director Nadesan Permaul.

Adding to Permaul’s list, Trevor Morris, general manager of the gelateria, said The Cheese Board Collective, Zachary’s Pizza and In-N-Out Burger are also possibilities that are being considered.

The partnership, which would install a satellite location of the chosen restaurant on the campus, could go into effect this spring, Permaul said.

He said the idea of bringing in a partner was first discussed after gelateria owners told him sales were lower than expected and decreasing.

Morris said sales for gelato have not been high enough to keep the business going without a partner.

“We were certainly hoping to run as a business by ourselves,” Morris said. “But we’re just not selling enough gelato alone.”

Morris said he could not give out the company’s actual sales figures.

The campus gelateria is an ASUC commercial enterprise and pays rent to the ASUC, Permaul said. In addition to paying rent, Morris said a percentage of the gelateria’s sales also go to the ASUC.

“Obviously, it’s beneficial to the ASUC if we have higher sales,” he said.

Former ASUC president Manny Buenrostro, who was president when the gelateria was brought to campus, said the store was an experiment and that it would be ideal to bring in a small business as a partner.

“I’d prefer it to be not such a big corporate shop, I’d be happier if it was a mom-and-pop store,” he said. “When we tried (opening the gelateria), it was kind of an experiment.”

Having just enjoyed the beauty of an Animal Style 3×3 in Pinole, I can safely say which camp I lie in. The other choices seem rad too. But I don’t think any restaurant will have the runaway success of an In-N-Out on campus.

Can’t you just imagine how many In-N-Out runs would take place every night? The campus would no longer be a dark and mysterious place every night. Freshmen haven’t had anything to aimlessly wander at around midnight after the Den turned into an overpriced coffee shop, and even those burgers they sell on Sproul lack the authentic feel. Imagine eating a double double with animal style fries before every Cal football game? And after? We all win, and the hippies lose. Wooo.

Who’s in favor of an In-N-Out joint on campus? Any other suggestions on food that should be put in place on campus? Answer in the poll or leave your thoughts in the comments.

With Sales Slow, Naia Seeking Partner [Daily Cal]



Topics: Society, Students, UC Berkeley

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