Staff Report
Students may soon be able to use Lobo Cash at restaurants off campus.
ASUNM President Ashley Fate said she wants businesses near campus to accept Lobo Cash.
"It's going to take a while, and we're not sure the best route to go about it," she said.
Lobo Cash works like a debit card.
Students can deposit money into their Lobo Card and use it at 22 places on campus.
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Among the locations, it can be used at the Bookstore, La Posada and the SUB.
Fate said that last year, an ad hoc ASUNM committee looked into allowing students to use their Lobo Cash off campus.
"Some of the community locations were receptive to it, but it takes partnership with the University, and I think it takes a certain kind of software," she said. "And there would be negotiations on which end would pay for what and how much of the revenue the University would get back - things like that."
Fate said extending the use of Lobo Cash will also help increase retention rates in the dorms.
"If you have more variety in your diet, you're going to be more likely to stay in the location, because the location is great, but sometimes the food might be monotonous," she said.
Student Ian Deason said it would be great if places like Frontier Restaurant and Saggios accepted Lobo Cash.
"They actually have that at a whole bunch of different campuses around the country," he said. "I'm surprised they haven't used it here before."
Deason said that being able to use his Lobo Cash off campus would be beneficial to him.
"There's all those times where I don't have that much money to go to the Frontier per say - like, I don't have actual cash, but if I could use funny money, then that would be great," he said.
Tony Nesheiwat, manager of Times Square Deli at 2132 Central Ave. S.E., said his store would gladly accept Lobo Cash.
"If it works like a credit card, I don't see why we wouldn't use it," he said.
Neshiwat said he was concerned over rewiring the store's system to accept the cards.
"We run things really, really easily - like, the easiest way possible," he said. "We have just one credit card machine and the register. We don't even have a scanner, so it might be a little too complicated."
Fate said the idea was in its infancy and nowhere near ready.
"I don't even know if it's realistic at this point," she said. "We're just asking about it."
