There has been little interest in the Picnic-To-Go program since the program’s launch Oct. 2, says the marketing manager for TCU Dining Services.As of now, no students have ordered or purchased the Picnic-To-Go packages, which, Dining Services marketing manager Legia Abato said, is mainly because there has not been great weather.
“This is something we have been working out for a while now, and there was too much going on at the beginning of the year for it to be launched,” Abato said.
“We were expecting the warm weather to stay the same until November, like last year,” she said.
The picnic package idea came from requests from resident assistants and hall directors who knew students wanted more opportunities for on-campus cookouts, similar to the barbecue pit outside Milton Daniel Hall, said Rick Flores, general manager for Dining Services.
“One hall director knew of a similar program at a different school, which helped with the ideas,” Flores said.
The All-American Grilling package costs $169.99, serving 16-30 people, and the Surf and Turf package costs $189.99, serving 12-20 people. When the cost is split among all the people eating, the cost is considerably lower, Abato said.
“The orders are placed online, and you are able to put as many ID numbers as you like to pay for the package,” she said.
The Picnic-To-Go packages are created to be perfect for tailgates and on-campus groups planning on providing food, Abato said.
It cuts down on costs because you are cooking the food yourself, she said.
Reginald Nash, a junior English major, said he would consider ordering one of the meal packages.
“I would definitely order one for a tailgate, and splitting the price definitely sounds better,” Nash said.
Melissa Terrill, a sophomore theatre and business major, said she probably will not purchase a Picnic-To-Go package because she does not have time to organize a large cookout.
Orders need to be placed through e-mail at least 48 hours in advance, Abato said.
After picking up the food from FrogBytes, students can go straight to cooking with little preparation, Flores said.
“We have this program because we heard (students),” Flores said. “We will find out if it is truly going to be used,” Flores said.