Post Classifieds
Area eateries now accepting Bengal Bucks
By John Dorsey
On March 26, 2012
Bengal Bucks are now being accepted at Zonies, Elmwood Taco and Subs, and Subway locations
on Elmwood Avenue.
Students may now easily make purchases from these restaurants with their Bengal Bucks by
using their card the same way they would on campus.
Vick Cheema, the owner of Subway on Elmwood and Forest, said he was intrigued by the
program because he thought it would bring more business from college students. Bengal Bucks
are being used about 10 times a day since the program began, but Cheema hopes it will pick up
once more students learn about it. He encourages other local restaurants to join the program as
well.
"If more places do it, more students are going to know about it and that would be better for us,"
Cheema said.
The only problem so far has been the students' confusion between Bengal Bucks and their
declining-balance meal plan, which may only be used in the student union. Also, students who
use Bengal Bucks on campus do not pay sales tax, but it will be added when they use their cards
off campus.
Benefits for students include not having to worry about carrying a lot of cash and being able
to use their cards instead of having to take money out of ATM. Parents also have the option of
determining the amount of money to put into their student's account.
The school has been receiving a lot of positive feedback from students since the start of the
program according to Manny Lezama, senior director of dining services at Buffalo State College.
"I think Bengal Bucks being accepted off campus is a good idea, but it would be better if they
would accept our declining balance," said Roland Parson, a senior business major. "That way we
would have more money to spend and more variety of food to choose from."
"It will be good because it gives us a wider variety of food to choose from," said Jazmine Smith,
a junior elementary education major. "Also, when the student union is closed at night we can still
use our cards at the restaurants that stay open late."
This idea was brought into discussion more than two years ago and has recently been set into
action during the spring 2012 semester, Lezama said.
"There were a lot of complaints from people that wanted to dine (off campus) but weren't able to
utilize their card," Lezama said.
The school reached out to Off Campus Solutions, a company that provides college students the
ability to make purchases at on-campus and local retail merchants with their student ID cards
through a pre-paid account. This company contacts and pitches the idea to prospective businesses
that the school would like to join the program, according to Lezama.
"The mission is to give the students a little more variety and diversity...knowing that they have to
eat (on campus) so many days a week," Lezama said.
The program started on Feb. 10 when the three restaurants began to accept Bengal Bucks. There
are over 30 more restaurants that the school hopes to add to the program as well.
The majority of the pending restaurants are located on Elmwood Avenue, right down the street
from Buffalo State. Popular restaurants, including Jim's Steakout, Zetti's Pizza and Pasta and
Cole's, are deciding if they will join the program, according to Marissa Dinello, the marketing
director of dining services at Buffalo State. There are also pending locations on Hertel Avenue,
Forest Avenue, Amherst Street and Maple Road, as well as a few locations downtown on West
Chippewa Street, including Chocolate Bar.
If students would like to make suggestions for restaurants they would like to see become part of
the program they are encouraged to contact the campus dining services, Dinello said.
To comment on this story, contact The Record at bscrecord@gmail.com.
Get Top Stories Delivered Weekly
Recent The Record News Articles
Area eateries now accepting Bengal Bucks
Bengal Bucks are now being accepted at Zonies, Elmwood Taco and Subs, and Subway locations on Elmwood Avenue. Students may now e...
Department donates books to local schools
When technology upgrades made an entire set of textbooks obsolete, faculty and students in the computer information systems department...
Discuss This Article
GET TOP STORIES DELIVERED WEEKLY
FOLLOW OUR NEWSPAPER
LATEST THE RECORD NEWS
- We've Moved to www.buffstaterecord.com!
- Obama divulges new higher education initiative during visit to UB
- Ailing Podolefsky steps down as president
- SUNY appoints Cohen interim president
- President Podolefsky announces leave to fight cancer
- Rappers put Pepsi in a bind
- Congrats to grads: take next step with gratitude
RECENT THE RECORD CLASSIFIEDS
OUTSIDE THE LINES
- A Story To Sing About
- The Gap in Gum Care: Why Caring For Your Teeth’s F...
- Top Tips for Signature Scents and Better-Smelling Laundry
- A Dog Trainer’s Top Tips to Support Pets Through Life S...
- Clear the Air of Indoor Pollutants This Spring
- Stroke & Dementia in Black Men: Tips for Staying Healthy...
- Hispanics and African Americans at Higher Risk for Eye...
- African Americans at Higher Risk for Eye Disease
- Infinity Kings: Final Book In A Favorite Fantasy Series
- What You Need To Know About Keratoconus and the iLink...
FROM AROUND THE WEB
- Don’t Let Diabetes Shortchange Your Golden Years
- No Child is Forgotten By Marine Toys for Tots
- Sweeten Your Springtime Salads With Healthy Chilean Grapes
- Young Author Translates 4,000-Year-Old Text to Reveal...
- Keeping Cool and Energy-efficient Amid America’s “...
- Addressing Sarcopenia with a Healthy Diet
- Subway’s New Wraps Elevate Eating on the Go
- Family Teacher Conference Topics Beyond Academics
- Youth Take Down Tobacco
- BookTrib’s Bites: Four Reads to Kickoff Spring
COLLEGE PRESS RELEASES
- Shoff Promotions Comic Book & Sports Card Show
- Semiconductor Research Corp unveils 2024 Research Call, $13.8M Funding
- Charles River Associates Opens Second Scholarship Cycle, Expands to the UK
- BLUMHOUSE AND AMC THEATRES LAUNCH FIRST-EVER HALFWAY TO HALLOWEEN FILM FESTIVAL
- THE GEN Z IMPERATIVE: LISTEN TO FEELINGS AND GIVE GEN Z A VOICE
