For students looking to cook their own meals without breaking the bank, The Cave may seem like the economical choice. The small store is conveniently located in the basement of Campion Hall and allows students to purchase canned, frozen and fresh food options using their university meal plan.
“I would say I do about 80% of my shopping at The Cave,” Julia Spuck, a second-year cell and molecular biology major, said. First and second-year students, like Spuck, are required to purchase a meal plan, leading many of them to choose to purchase their necessities on campus.
However, not all students are satisfied with what The Cave has to offer. The selection of fresh items, such as fruits and vegetables, is limited to little more than a single freezer, and may not offer the products that students are seeking.
“I noticed that there was less [produce], because they were selling onions last year, which I really wanted but didn’t see this year,” Li Batayola, a second-year criminal justice major, said. “I think they actually have a smaller supply, because last year they had four or five bins full of supplies and organic stuff, and they only have three bins now.”
Spuck has experienced similar issues with a lack of variety at The Cave, expressing a desire for more protein-heavy options such as ground beef or chicken. Suggestions like these can be shared with the university through a survey posted near the entrance and exit doors to the store.
Variety isn’t the only change students may be noticing at The Cave. On September 2, 2025, Seattle University students and staff received an email from Student and Campus Life stating that the prices of certain food items would be increasing across campus at the beginning of the 2025-26 academic year by an average of 64 cents. Convenience store items, such as bottled drinks and candy sold at The Cave would increase by an average of 39 cents.
The message, signed by Resident District Manager of Chartwells Catering Andrew Gaynor, stated that these changes were “highly targeted” and “reflect [their] commitment to limiting increases to where they are absolutely necessary, rather than applying broad, across-the-board changes.”
Inflation is not a new concept to most students, as prices of goods have risen dramatically across the country in recent months. However, many still expressed surprise to see this reflected on campus.
“I think it makes sense because it’s just inflation, but also kind of I feel like, I don’t know about The Cave, but definitely in the food court, that some of the food’s gotten a little worse,” Batayola said.
Others, like Second-year Anthropology and Sociology Major Xol Holigores, felt blindsided by this change.
“I don’t think SU ever posted about this on their social media, or at least the ones I follow,” Holigores said. “It feels scummy to raise the prices, especially as someone who’s using a meal plan. Even at the lowest price, that’s still 2k dollars a year…so you really want to spend all your dining dollars to get your money’s worth.”
While the average price increases are small, a few cents here and there begin to add up.
“It seems like such a small difference, but I think over time it will really add up. It will make a difference, especially for people who aren’t freshmen who have lowered their meal plan,” Regan Luz, a second-year communications major, said.
Having moved from a residence hall to a campus apartment, Luz expressed that she was looking forward to cooking more of her own meals in her apartment kitchen. However, due to the high costs of ingredients at The Cave, she’s resorted to purchasing more microwavable or ready-made meals.
“Ready-made meals are more convenient, because of the price. But, we want to make food with our produce, and ready-made food is not what we’re looking for,” Luz explained.
Luz, Holigores and Spuck all stated that they choose to shop at The Cave rather than other nearby grocery stores due to its convenient location and the ability to pay using a meal plan. However, customers do pay for this convenience in ways that may not be immediately obvious.
A container of baby spinach, for example, is currently being sold at The Cave for $7.39. Just a few blocks away at the QFC on Broadway, a similar quantity can be purchased for $5.49. The same can be said for bags of three multicolored bell peppers, which can be purchased at The Cave for $7.49 or at QFC for $4.49. These price differences remain consistent for most other produce and products sold on campus.
Despite their concerns, students expressed their appreciation for The Cave as a valuable resource and community staple on campus. While they hope to see expanded selections and affordable prices in the coming years, few students expressed a need or desire to limit their visits to The Cave.
