When students are not in the mood for the Main Dining Room or One Main Cafe, relief can come in the form Capital Bucks.
Capital Bucks, known more generally as CapBucks, serve as part of each university meal plan and can be used to purchase food and drinks at both dining locations on campus and at Capital Grounds.
CapBucks can also be used at select restaurants on Main Street, including Moshi Sushi, Newfangled Kitchen, Jimmy John’s and Jersey Mike’s. These options provide a wide range of meal options outside of the university’s Main Dining Room and One Main Cafe.
The CapBucks program began in 2016 following students’ requests for more dining options on campus. The university began reaching out to local businesses with the intention of partnering with them after they were unable to find suitable space on campus.
As a result, local businesses which accept CapBucks are reimbursed monthly for the cost of the meal swipes students use at their locations.
Many students enjoy the CapBucks program, seeing it as a way to avoid having to further empty their pockets in order to get good food near campus.
“I think it’s great, because we don’t have to spend our own money when we only want to go out to a couple other places that’s not MDR or One Main,” said Michelangelo Arnone, a first-year exercise science major.
“I really like being able to use [CapBucks],” said Isabella Rothenfeld, a senior music education major. “I like being able to not have to spend, quote unquote, actual money […] instead of paying money upfront for things that would otherwise be taken out of my bank account.”
While CapBucks can be used at a variety of restaurants both on and off campus, some students wish CapBucks could be used at additional Bexley eateries such as Chipotle, Graeters and Kitties.
Jersey Mike’s and Newfangled Kitchen were named among the favorite spots which currently accept CapBucks.
While the CapBucks program directly affects the students, the relationships which have made the program possible have more wide-reaching effects for the university as a whole. Jimmy John’s, one of the businesses which partners with the university to accept CapBucks, has recently begun sponsoring the university’s athletics department.
In a news release from Capital Athletics, it was announced that Jimmy John’s will serve as the “Preferred Sandwich Provider of Capital Athletics” as part of a series of university investments and partnerships with the local community.
“Jimmy John’s will now be the preferred sandwich provider for all Capital student-athletes, staff, spectators and visitors,” the announcement said. “Deals and discounts may be offered throughout the year exclusively for the benefit of Capital Athletics and its constituents.” While the agreement may currently extend only to the athletics department, this partnership establishes a foundation for future collaboration with the university.
By building on the original CapBucks program and forming closer ties with already supportive businesses, the university will be able to expand its footprint and influence within the Columbus metropolitan area.
