From all indications, the all-you-can-eat Chick-fil-A Express will stay in Couch Cafeteria.

Chick-fil-A Express is a pilot program offering an unlimited amount of food to customers who pay the entry fee to the cafeteria, said Frank Henry, director of board operations for Food Services.

"The (Chick-fil-A) people seem to think that this has been a good run at a concept that had never been tried with their product," Henry said.

Dave Annis, director of Food Services, said the concept was expected to be a success. The only concern was how the new operation would affect food costs.

"If the cost of the food and the commission we pay to Chick-fil-A was too much more than our regular food costs, then it might have been successful but impossible to afford," Annis said.

Chick-fil-A Express

o All-you-can-eat installation in Couch Cafeteria

o First of its kind for the company

o Has had a successful run in the cafeteria and will remain there

Source: Dave Annis, director of OU Food Services

But the concept has proven to be a success on all accounts, Annis said.

The success of Chick-fil-A Express brings the possibility of more fast food chains opening all-you-can-eat operations in the cafeteria, Annis said.

"We are talking with Panda Express about a possible operation in Couch (Cafeteria) because I think they would provide a better product than what we could do ourselves," he said.

Chick-fil-A Express is going to be in Couch Cafeteria for a long time, said Mike Hilgenfeld, consultant for Chick-fil-A operations at OU.

"We knew it would do well," he said.

While operations are now running smoothly, Henry said, the beginning of the fall 2005 semester brought a slew of hungry students eager to try out the newest addition to Couch Cafeteria.

"We were really swamped with the opening last semester, but things have leveled off to a normal usage," Henry said.

Dorothy Flowers, manager of Couch Cafeteria, said the new Chick-fil-A Express sees regular customers every day.

Johnathan Sellers, broadcast and electronic media junior, said he thinks the Chick-fil-A Express is the best thing to happen to Couch Cafeteria. He said paying an initial entrance fee to the cafeteria eliminates having to pay at Chick-fil-A Express itself so it saves him time and money.

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