"So why are school meals more expensive than outside?"

I think this is a common problem, but one that shouldn't be ignored.

College students nowadays are pampered and raised at home, and their living habits and financial conditions are so different from those of their parents that it is hard for them to have the same strong feelings about money and food as their parents did.

If the school has a cafeteria and a supermarket, we can see that they usually make the food more delicious.

In fact, there are many reasons why school canteens are relatively cheaper, such as some students choose a certain restaurant because they like it.

There are also reasons because it is a competitive market.

If you want to know why this is so, then go and read the explanation below!

One common phenomenon in school cafeterias is that students all eat the same meals.

So you should know that prices don't measure how good or bad a cafeteria is, but they do influence students to eat in the cafeteria.

Would they think that school cafeteria meals are more expensive than outside because of the competition?

1. The school cafeteria is a small market, and a relatively small one at that.

So you have to think about it in more than one way.

If you compare a school cafeteria to any other restaurant out there, you know that the market is small; it's only about 10% of the area around the campus, while it has more than 80% of the campus cafeteria's customer base.

School cafeterias aren't as big and famous as outside restaurants and the meals they serve aren't very appealing, but they are a small market.

In such a market environment, you can find that students usually prefer to choose those cheaper restaurants to eat.

School cafeterias therefore have very few competitors coming in and out of the market, which keeps its prices relatively low.

2. Since the school cafeteria is student-centered, it can have a larger profit margin.

The food in the cafeteria is purchased directly from the manufacturer, eliminating the middleman.

Additionally, students who eat at the cafeteria can enjoy discounts such as free food, buy one get one free and various discounts.

In addition, schools have a great advantage in purchasing food since the main income of school canteens is students.

So the campus cafeteria is much cheaper than outside restaurants under the same conditions.

3. School cafeterias need to be inspected regularly.

A good school can't just rely on its students to eat,

it's more important that it has better equipment and quality service.

Therefore, in order for students to have enough food,

school canteens also need to be regularly inspected and maintained.

This is not only good for the quality of meals but also for safety.

A good school needs a good kitchen to give it service, but in real life, we can't be too selfish.

4. Since the staff in the school cafeteria are hired on a temporary basis, they are paid very low wages and this saves a lot of money.

Why should you give someone a dollar?

A common phenomenon of eating in school cafeterias is that one student eats twice, two students eat once, and don't continue to eat again because of the price.

Many people may think that since my price is the same as yours, why should I give others a dollar?

However, among students, many will choose not to bring a dollar to others due to factors such as low cost of living, unstable family conditions, and employment pressure.