Starting next fall, the Dining Dollar fee will rise from $105 to $135 per semester to provide incentive for companies to bring branches of their stores to UNA’s campus.

This is the last in a series of planned fee increases in order to bring Chick-Fil-A and Starbucks to the Academic Commons and Student Center.

“All national brands need some form of guarantee that there is enough income for them to survive (as an on-campus business),” said Alan Kinkead, general manager of Sodexo Dining Services at UNA. “(These businesses) need to know more than just the fact that there are 7,000 students at UNA. We wanted to make sure that we could show Chick-Fil-A and Starbucks that there are funds available to students that will drive revenues.”

Kinkead said Sodexo and UNA officials have worked closely in establishing a plan to get popular franchises on campus and that many campuses have Dining Dollar programs to meet this end. Unlike other brands on campus currently, Chick-Fil-A and Starbucks are going to be full-service operations.

“Starbucks and Chick-Fil-A have very specific rules as far as what they serve and how they market themselves, though they are flexible about some things, like how they decorate,” Kinkead said. “I’m really excited that Starbucks is planning to use some local flair in their store design.”

Kinkead said he hopes the Florence community will be drawn to the new stores to give their support. Sodexo will continue to have events and contests to encourage students to spend money on campus.

“We’ve done stuff where we’ve given away prizes to encourage students to spend all of their Dining Dollars before the end of the semester,” Kinkead said. “We’ve given away a Kindle Fire before, as well as an iPad Mini.”

Students on campus have mixed emotions about the fee increase since some students will graduate before the new businesses arrive and others prefer to support local business. Joy Wimberly, a senior at UNA, said she feels that the Dining Dollars are a gimmick to force her to spend money on campus, especially since she will not be able to enjoy the new restaurants.

“If a Starbucks or Chick-Fil-A was on campus, people would spend their money there regardless,” said Jacob Chapman, a junior. “While a big-name corporate chain like Starbucks may seem more attractive, they don’t bring anything more to Florence than a brand label. I think local businesses like Rivertown are fantastic for their community, and we should support them.”

Other students said they were indifferent to the fee increase since they will spend money on campus regardless. RJ Stein, a junior, said he expects the $135 to fly off his Mane Card.

“I really don’t mind the Dining Dollar fee,” said Jacob Hale, a senior at UNA. “This fee ensures restaurants like Chick-Fil-A and Starbucks feel comfortable setting up at UNA, which will only make UNA better. I’m willing to spend a little bit more money to make UNA better.”