USD reacts to the new Tu Mercado entrance and the promise of more changes

LAUREN VUJOVICH

EDITOR IN CHIEF

@lvujo

The reconstruction of Tu Mercado has been just one of many changes recently on campus at the University of San Diego. Upon students’ return to school after winter break, they came across a new entrance to Tu Mercado; however, there have been more changes within the actual store besides the new location of the door.

Tu Mercado this semester changed how they check out people’s purchases of food items and updated their system to a Point of Sale, POS. This system is a faster way to swipe cards and to be more compliant with credit card systems.

Ruth Neveu is the manager of Tu Mercado and Torero Tu Go food truck and has found the new changes to be very beneficial to the store.

“So far, the way the people can come in and order sandwiches and we can ring them up at the front has alleviated a lot of stand still over there, whereas before we were all kind of smashed together,” Neveu said.

This new layout and system was made with the goal to make Tu Mercado more effective, yet students are having mixed feelings in regard to the changes at the store.

For senior Katie Modesitt, she likes the changes but is still having a hard time adjusting to the new method of payment.

“I think it is efficient,” Modesitt said. “I think it is a little odd that you have to go to the front register to pay and that only happens sometimes, so you don’t really know when to pay, but otherwise I think it is fine.”

Junior Nick Manessis also likes the new system and has found it to be a positive change compared to the old checkout system.

“It was a little weird at first, but I think it is a good thing because there is actually a place where you can just check out really quick, whereas before you had to awkwardly stand in two different lines for purchases versus sandwich purchases, so I think it is good as long as there is someone there,” Manessis said.

However, some students are not quite as receptive to the recent changes.

Senior Joe Joe Sarkisian finds the new layout to be less effective.

“Honestly, it kind of seems pointless,” Joe Sarkisian said. “It seems like the checkout got slower because people have to wait to get their sandwiches, and then they have to checkout again and wait in another line, so I kind of don’t like it.”

Sophomore Joseph Pham also prefers the old system due to the ability to check out at multiple registers.

“I think when they had the old system, when all of the registers were open, was better,” Pham said. “Now, when you order something, you have to go all the way to the other side and wait in the line, and that is everyone trying to buy things, not only sandwiches.”

However, these mixed reviews do not concern Neveu.

“Of course some people don’t like it because change is hard,” Neveu said.

Neveu was quick to state that overall the change has been received well and to expect more change in the future in regard to sandwich items and products available for purchase within the store.

“A lot of people have liked it a lot better, and things are still moving, things are going to change again but only for the better,” Neveu said.

Regardless of student opinions on the changes happening at Tu Mercado and around campus, the university continues to push forward with these improvements. Only time will tell how these changes to Tu Mercado will coincide with the opening of the bookstore.