At San Marcos, part of the culture is going off campus for lunch. For years, eleventh and twelfth graders have been going off campus and getting a quick snack before they return for 3rd period. This tradition has been going on for decades. But to dive deeper into this topic, I asked students and staff what they thought about off campus lunch. 

First, I asked a series of questions to eleventh and twelfth graders such as, how often do you go off campus for lunch? How much money do you spend? And, where do you like to go? Out of 50 students, more than half said they leave campus often. The majority of students also said they spend between 10 and 14 dollars. 

I received many answers to their favorite spot, but the majority said they go to Vons. Over the weekend, I went to Dave’s dogs, Vons, and Rustys to interview workers and ask a series of questions about how off campus lunch helps their business. When I asked the question, how many of your customers are students from San Marcos Highschool? 

One of the workers from Dave’s dogs said, “From the time the bell rings and the kids are off of school, I have around 40 customers come in all at once. The support is a big part of my business that I have been missing for a year and a half.” 

After that, I asked the question, how much do the students usually spend? 

An employee from Rusty’s said, “On average, the students usually spend 10 dollars.” Lastly, I asked the question, how does the support from the San Marcos help with your business? 

The manager from Vons said, “The support from the students is great and it also brings their parents in too. It’s very, very helpful. We sell things we wouldn’t normally sell with adults.” 

Dave from Dave’s dogs said, “It not only helps me, it helps Vons, it helps everybody around here. It also brings nice energy because when you get a rush off students coming in, it helps my business. And it’s every business owner’s dream to get a rush of people to come in and enjoy their food. The support also helps fund and pay my employees.”

In conclusion, off campus lunch is great for both students and local businesses. Students get to eat delicious food while supporting the community.