On March 12, 2025, American sandwich chain Quiznos opened a new location on the first floor of the Student Union building at CBNU, directly across from Coopsket. The space previously housed the CBNU Cooperative office and postal service center, but has since been remodeled into a quick-service food outlet. Quiznos, a U.S. (based fast) food franchise, is known for offering a variety of convenient meal options such as sandwiches and salads. This new store opening is the second major brand to be introduced on campus, following Starbucks, and is part of an effort to expand dining choices for students and staff. While Quiznos offers a menu similar to that of Subway—a brand more familiar to Korean consumers—its service model is notably different. Unlike Subway, where customers customize their sandwiches by choosing individual ingredients like bread, vegetables, and sauces, Quiznos primarily serves pre-designed sandwiches in ready-to-eat form.

  As a result, there has been ongoing curiosity among the student body about the background and process behind the opening of Quiznos on campus. A CBT reporter summarizes the process based on the university’s official response to related inquiries. Park Beom-jun, a staff member from the Finance Department at CBNU’s Administrative Office, explained the decision to place Quiznos in a space originally intended to serve as a “study and rest area for students.” He stated, “After considering the overall utilization of the space, we decided to proceed with Quiznos as the tenant. In exchange, the Student Union’s second-floor lounge was remodeled into a study room, which opened on March 28.” He further explained the decision-making process behind the Quiznos opening, stating, “In a survey conducted prior to the opening of Starbucks, there was significant demand for a ‘sandwich shop.’ Additionally, the student council conveyed requests for the introduction of a quick-service food outlet, which we took into consideration. The selection of the vendor was carried out through a general-restricted competitive bidding process via the ‘OnBid System’, in accordance with the National Property Act, and Quiznos was chosen in this bid.” He also added, “There are no separate meeting materials or minutes related to the introduction of new brands on campus. This decision is part of fulfilling President Koh Chang-seob’s pledge to diversify and elevate food options for both faculty and students.”

  Based on the various comprehensive details provided by the university regarding the opening of Quiznos, the CBT reporter sought to gather feedback from actual students to understand their feelings about the new store. On March 19, 2025, at around 6 p.m., the reporter visited the Quiznos CBNU brunch and conducted a brief interview with a student, Kim Ji-hae (Dept. of Advanced Materials Engineering, 23). She shared her thoughts, saying, “The Quiznos brand is a bit unfamiliar, but I am happy that I can try different food on campus aside from the school meals. It is a bit more expensive compared to the school cafeteria, which is unfortunate, but the taste itself is satisfying. Personally, I prefer hearty meals and usually consider cost-effectiveness, so I do not think I will be coming here often.”

  In fact, Quiznos has already established itself as a fast and convenient meal option at other universities. However, as reflected in the feedback from students who have used the Quiznos at CBNU, the relatively high prices have caused some disappointment among the student body. At other universities such as Seoul National University (SNU) and Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), on-campus Quiznos locations offer discounts of 10% on sandwiches and 10 to 20% on beverages for students and faculty, along with limited-time promotions like Morning Combo Sets and Lunch Combo Sets. These pricing strategies, tailored to the actual consumption conditions of students, have been praised for fulfilling the role of an on-campus brand. In contrast, the Quiznos at CBNU currently maintains sandwich prices in the range of 6,000 to 8,000 KRW without any special discount events, making it less competitively priced compared to the 2,000 to 3,000 KRW school meals or other brands available on campus.

  In conclusion, the opening of the Quiznos branch at CBNU was initiated with the aim of expanding food options for students, and it is notable that the process was carried out through an official bidding procedure and a pre-demand survey. However, there are still concerns regarding the high prices and the actual consumption conditions, and the brand’s continued usage will likely depend on future operational strategies. The incorporation of student feedback. Therefore, ongoing attention and communication are needed to ensure that the diversification of on-campus food offerings translates into tangible benefits for students.

thfals7958@chungbuk.ac.kr