Crispy shoestring fries, lightly tossed in seasoning and thickly coated in rich layers of steamy, golden nacho cheese. The concept of the cheese fry is an ingenious idea combining two foods which appease the American taste bud: melted cheese and something fried. This simple food duo revolutionized concession stand menus, and a whole plate can be ordered at Davis Wade Stadium during football season for a mere $2.
One of my favorite pastimes during fall semester was basking in the ambience of football hysteria and mouthwatering cheese fries. At the conclusion of this year’s football season, I was disheartened to realize I would no longer have an excuse to gorge myself with the beloved cheese fries.
Gone were the Saturdays in Davis Wade where I could cheer on the Bulldogs, responsibly ring my cowbell with one hand and snack on cheese fries with the other, all whilst happily forgetting any stressors from academic responsibilities. With the realization of the incoming basketball season, I assumed my cheese fry withdrawal would be satiated.
Much to my dismay, fries were not sold at the basketball games, and this dilemma is one that needs to be addressed and hopefully changed.
As much fun as basketball games are, the introduction of cheese fries to the concession stand menu would be an addition that would make the experience more worthwhile. Nachos are a signature staple of quick concessions, but the cheese fry is steadily gaining ground. Concession stands across the United States, whether at the professional or college level, include cheese fries on their menus, indicating a clear trend among the masses of sports fans, particularly college students.
The New Orleans Saints’s menu has chili cheese fries, but you can also purchase regular seasoned fries for $5.75 and add cheese for an extra $2.50. Therefore, Saints’s concession stand menu allows fans to purchase cheese fries for $8.25 versus MSU’s famous ‘Fan-Focused Pricing’ of $2. In stating this, I think we should take advantage of the opportunity to have access to relatively cheap cheese fries by expanding the Hump’s concession menu.
Both the Perry and Fresh Foods serve shoestring fries, so if French fries are common at these usual MSU dining areas, why not also serve fries at the basketball games? Nachos are already available at basketball games, so the cheese is already in place. All that is missing is the fries.
In terms of finance, I think the university would benefit from the addition of fries to the Hump’s concession stand menu, based on its high demand at the university cafeterias. Since French fries are so frequent at the Perry and Fresh, it would only make sense to put cheese fries on the basketball concession stand menu. Even with the fan-focused pricing of $2 cheese fries, there are significant financial gains.
A 30-pound bulk of fries may be bought for $19.98 from Sam’s Club. According to Your Grocer, this 30-pound bulk contains six five-pound bags and serves 80 six-ounce servings in total, so with all the numbers laid out, the university ultimately obtains an 87.5% profit.
While I may be an overzealous cheese fry advocate, the statistics clearly speak for themselves, and cheese fries are definitely the way to go in terms of the university benefiting financially, and for students like me having their desperate hankering for cheese fries fulfilled.
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Cheese fries should be made available in The Hump’s concession stands
About the Contributor
![Riley Stephens](http://reflector-online.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/5f60111cec065.image_-600x400.jpg)
Riley Stephens, Former Opinion Editor
Riley Stephens served as the Opinion Editor from 2020 to 2021.
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