For students looking for a broader dining variety than what’s offered on campus, the University of Memphis has partnered with nearby restaurants on Walker Avenue and Highland Street to provide more options for students through campus Tiger Funds.
Vee Matthews, assistant manager and catering coordinator at Moe’s Southwest Grill, said there are plenty of alternatives to campus eateries, giving students many options.
“They have a lot of stuff to choose from,” Matthews said. “Of course, they have the food in the cafeteria, but if they don’t want that, they can also come over here to Moe’s and go on down. It’s just a lot of stuff over here for them to eat and a lot of stuff for them to do over here. I would have something every day of the week, no lie. Because it’s a lot.”
Tiger Funds, which are separate from Dining Dollars and Flex Bucks, are also a university-issued account available using the Campus Card. Along with every on-campus restaurant, Tiger Funds can be used at eight different dining locations off campus, on Walker Avenue and Highland Street. These locations are Moe’s, Garibaldi’s Pizza, McDonald’s, Domino’s Pizza, Ubee’s, Lennys Subs, RP Tracks and Smoothie King.
Like many of the restaurants on Walker Avenue and Highland Street, Moe’s also offers daily promotions and some for students, like $5 Moe Mondays when both burritos and bowls are offered at that price. Matthews said discounts such as these are especially beneficial for students on a budget.
“Moe’s, we cater to all of our U of M students,” Matthews said. “That’s why we get paid. They’re our own students. They’re our people. We take care of them. So y’all come here; y’all get y’all some lunch. We’re going to take care of y’all.”
Mike Garibaldi, owner of Garibaldi’s Pizza in the same shopping strip as Moe’s on Walker Avenue, said the partnership between the U of M and his restaurant is so close that business ebbs and flows with campus life.
“I’m 65, but I still live the life and schedule of the college students, so we’re pretty much in tune with what’s going on over at the university,” Garibaldi said. “And it’s been that way for 45 years.”
Garibaldi said accepting Tiger Funds like other restaurants on Walker Avenue has been “great” because it allows him to participate with the U of M and gives more options to students.
“We’ve been out here in the community since ‘75, and so we just fill a void where they (the university) can’t do everything,” Garibaldi said. “Even though there’s a variety of things for them to eat, when you eat the same things every day, to have some extra options that are outside […] it’s just good for everybody.”
Also in the same shopping strip, 901 Scoop, a rolled ice cream shop, does not currently accept Tiger Funds, but they do offer a 25 percent student discount Tuesday nights and a continuous 10 percent student discount. Owner Bahji Shawn Hakimi said having places nearby campus that accommodate for student budgets is beneficial for both the students and the businesses.
“It’s definitely good for the local businesses for the kids to come out and patron their businesses,” Hakimi said. “Being in college, it just sucks trying to figure out your next meal anyway, so it’s just more convenient.”
College students can also get discounted prices for many other products and online services, like Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon Prime.
Moe's (above) is one of the eight restaurants near campus that accepts Tiger Funds. Like many restaurants on Walker Avenue and Highland Street, Moe's also offers weekly promotions that cater to students on a budget.
