UC Berkeley ruling leaves room for future student run cooperative

by Jillian Keenan

On Tuesday, May 5, the University of California – Berkeley Store Operations Board rejected a second lease agreement with fast-food chain Panda Express, opening the possibility for development of a proposed student-run cooperative restaurant. Supporters of the cooperative have already raised more than $100,000 in campus and private donations.

A previous lease agreement with Panda Express had been similarly rejected the previous month, although the board opted to continue negotiation with the chain to open a university branch of the restaurant.

The decision to reject the Panda Express proposal was largely met with support from the student body. Approximately 30 students attended the May 5 meeting to demonstrate their opposition to the project.

“I’m so excited they made the right decision,” said senior Jessie Booth in an interview with university newspaper The Daily Californian. “Putting a band-aid like Panda Express is not a financially sustainable way of addressing our problems.”

The cooperative restaurant proposal has not yet been approved, and other businesses will apply to occupy the space through an open bid process starting June 30. The on-campus location was formerly occupied by student travel agency STA Travel.

Berkeley Student Food Cooperative leader Alli Reed said that the Berkley student body largely supports the cooperative restaurant proposal.

“We have gotten an amazing show of support from the student body,” said Alli Reed. “We have not met anyone who is opposed to the food coop.”

Reed said that in addition to the on-campus location, the Berkeley Student Food Cooperative is also considering two off-campus sites as potential development locations for the student coop.