At EF Academy Pasadena, many student have food delivered to campus in addition to eating in Cena dining hall. In a survey conducted by The International Changemaker, sixteen students shared their ordering habits, how much they spend each time, their monthly expenditure, and their favorite delivery restaurants.
Students surveyed said that due to the development of ordering apps, “it is easy to order food,” so even if they do not need to eat something, they will still open an app and order. A few students surveyed said that ordering out is a way to “eat better food” than is provided in Cena.
When it comes to ordering apps, more than 80% of students surveyed said that they use Uber Eats, while others utilize DoorDash. Few students surveyed used both applications, although some did.
While most students, on average, ordered food once or twice during the week, some students ordered more than once per day. According to the survey, students tend to order food after school or after study hall as a late-night meal. Since Wednesday is a late start day, students also tend to skip breakfast and order for lunch time.
The survey revealed that some students order lunch on weekends. The largest number of students order two or three times on weekends, more frequently than on weekdays.
With such frequent orders, the money spent would be substantial. Still, students said that they are willing to spend money for “delicious” food. The majority of students spend about $15 to $30 per order, and other students spend $30 to $50 depending on whether they order more to share with their friends, order from a more expensive restaurant, and tip or pay a delivery fee.
The most common monthly expenditures average between $60 and $100, but a few students said that they spend more than $1000 dollars per month.
Despite the students’ divergent tastes, all students surveyed have one thing in common: they like to order boba tea. Indeed, walking around campus, students can be seen heading to class with a boba tea in their hand as an “energy charge drink” to focus on their academics. Students said that they particularly like Sunright Tea Studio on Colorado Blvd. in Pasadena.
Most students also said that they prefer ordering Asian food and reasonably priced fast food. They shared that they do not have a particular favorite restaurant but would decide on a restaurant based on “what I want to eat” that day. Furthermore, students often order açai from Açai Bar which is a 5-minute walk from campus on Hill Ave.
Some students order chicken or sushi for parties or to share with their friends, and some say “BBQ chicken and kabuki sushi are the best.”
Further, teachers can also be seen ordering and drinking coffee from Starbucks for their meetings or first class to get some energy in the morning around the campus.