SOMETHING is brewing near Beta Bridge, and for once it is not alcohol. There has been a recent explosion in the number of students heading toward Beta Bridge on Friday and Saturday nights - not to find the hottest party, but to feed it. Numerous student groups, from the service fraternity Alpha Phi Omega to several different Alternative Spring Break contingents, have taken up residence on Rugby Road to sell food to hungry partygoers.
Last Friday, two Alternative Spring Break groups were a mere 20 feet from each another, one selling grilled cheese and the other baked goods. At 11 p.m., the Jupiter Island group had made little headway, but sales picked up after midnight according to project co-leader D.J. Falkson. On a good night, organizations typically bring in at least $30 net profit. While that may not seem like much, when you consider the number of student groups involved in the business it appears that there is a fair opportunity for financial gain. Unfortunately, low barriers to entry and increasing competition are cutting down profits for individual organizations. The business developments on Beta Bridge serve as an interesting laboratory for economics, but the only real winners in this new business pursuit are the consumers.
According to Cvillain.com, Charlottesville has the highest number of restaurants per capita of any city in the United States. On the Corner alone, there are over 30 dining establishments. Why then, have students taken to substituting the deliciousness of late night Little John's or Christian's Pizza for a grilled cheese on Beta? The answer is simple: convenience.
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