SUDS General Meeting Presents Possibilities
A collection of BUSU council members and students gathered on March 1st to discuss the possible ways to improve SUDS and attract business after the bar lost a considerable amount of money over the past few years and was closed last month.
Over the course of the meeting, the attendants discussed a number of topics, including the impact of a possible Food Card expansion (which will be determined by plebiscite during the elections), the menu, socials and events, and how SUDS can serve different groups on campus. The students praised SUDS for a few things, including what was offered on the menu, the prices, and the speed of service. Many also commented that the atmosphere of the bar, which felt safe and familiar, was a major reason they enjoyed going there.
However, the students still had a number of issues. Some of those problems included inconsistency of hours (as the bar often closed when there were no customers to save on staffing costs), the lack of knowledge of those hours among students, a disconnect with students from the music, health, and education buildings, and events like Karaoke Nights not having regular schedules. One of the bigger issues seemed to be with the image of the bar, which some did not feel convinced students to eat there.
Among the ideas voiced during the meeting included having consistent hours of operation that are posted so that students would know them, with staff cost issues dealt with using split shifts and improved time management; hiring a university employee (someone who would “resonate with students”) whose job would be to direct advertising for SUDS, including events and socials; selling memberships to SUDS to non-students; having time-sensitive coupons distributed via e-mail and media like The Quill, as well as having timely specials on food and drink; opening earlier and adding breakfast options to the menu; and using SUDS to cater for other events and serve Mini-University attendants in order to fill in the four-month gap between school years and eliminate some of the hassle for managers, which might also attract business from spring and summer students.
There was also talk of changing the image of SUDS, so that it would appear more like a restaurant or coffee house and could broaden its appeal. Some of the menu addition suggestions, including speciality coffees, smoothies, and more appetizers, would contribute to that shift, although as BUSU members noted, what new items they can add to the menu is limited by the equipment currently available and the cost of new equipment. More events and entertainment during the weeks and months, while also a well-received idea, are limited due to SUDS’ capacity limits.
BUSU also presented a number of things that they learned from other universities, including Dalhousie and the University of Saskatchewan, who are also having problems with their bars. According to them, their decline seems to have its roots in the lack of free time for many students, the number of students who live further off-campus, and increasing competition from coffee houses.
BUSU is still looking for suggestions about how to improve SUDS, and recommend anyone who has any other ideas they may want to share to access them by e-mail or Facebook. Despite its closure, SUDS will still host three more events before the end of the year, including St. Patrick’s Day and Drink the Bar Dry.
