By
Rachael Myer
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Dawg Daze employees say they'll miss students
Invitations to graduation ceremonies fill a drawer in Donna Hibbitts' dresser.
She has been part of University of Arizona students' lives during the last five years, talking with them every day since they were freshmen and wishing them farewell on their graduation day.
Many students called her "Mom" and gave her hugs after they bought snacks from her hot dog cart near the Modern Languages Building.
Hibbitts is one of about 15 former Dawg Daze employees who does not know where she will work today - usually the first day of the hot dog company's busy season.
Dawg Daze vending carts have served hot dogs, candy and pop at four locations around campus during the last eight years.
UA Dining Services Director David Galbraith said he could not specify why Nathan's Famous Inc. was awarded the contract instead of Dawg Daze until other requests for proposals are completed.
However, he said Dawg Daze's "proposal was not the strongest" and that the UA can make more money while selling the food at a cheaper price.
Dawg Daze may appeal the contract decision if it can find a basis, said Steve Arnold, the company's co-owner.
Marchelle Brady, the other owner, said she was devastated by the decision.
While Brady was aware the UA would probably not award her company a full contract for her vending cart business, she had "no clue" it would not receive any of the contract.
She received a letter a few weeks after her contract finished on June 30 that stated the UA Student Union "decided that it is in their best interest to self- operate the hot dog carts on campus."
A different company will serve hot dogs and snacks around campus this year, but the UA Student Union will operate the sales, Galbraith said.
Nathan's Famous Inc., of New York, will provide the food at most of the same locations as where Dawg Daze served - near the Nugent Building, outside the Harvill Building and near the Modern Languages Building, Galbraith said.
A new cart at McClelland Hall will be added, he said.
In addition, Common Grounds Espresso Co. and Eegee's will be served at most of the locations and Bobby Dean's Hickory Bar-b-que will be served at the Nugent location, he said.
Common Grounds Espresso Co. will continue to serve coffee at their stand near the Forbes Building and in the Modern Languages Building breezeway.
The All-Aboard meal plan will be accepted at the carts as well as cash - Dawg Daze accepted the meal plan at two of their locations. Hours will remain similar but cost will be "a lot" less, although Galbraith did not have figures to specify.
Galbraith said the UA has future plans to make the vending carts a permanent fixture by constructing a roof around them.
"The goal is to have more well-developed facilities at all the locations," he said.
Most of the carts should be open Monday and the rest will start business by the end of this week, Galbraith added.
Arnold said the UA made an "underhanded" decision because the university will use the research Dawg Daze had conducted during the years to operate its carts this year. He said his company used trial and error methods to find the best cart locations and clientale.
"Through no research or no work of their own, they are just going to take that away from us," Arnold said.
He said he enjoyed working with the students, faculty and staff.
"We developed quite a rapport with a lot of people," Arnold said. He will study history and political science at the UA.
Brady said she would miss the students, whom she loved.
"Sometimes I think people would think that we just come down here and not see that we would be here 15,16 hours a day," Brady said. "We put every bit of our heart into it for the faculty, staff, students."
Brady, who often called her customers "sweetie" and "honey" at the Nugent location, said the company earned about $400,000 to $425,000 a year in gross sales. The UA and Tucson economy will be affected by her company's absence, she said.
Julie Lirot, a doctorate student in the Spanish and Portuguese department, said the Dawg Daze employees were "always nice." Lirot was a customer for more than three years.
She said Hibbitts would "adopt people" and take care of them by making sure they ate properly.
"She wouldn't sell me anything that had caffeine because I was pregnant," Lirot said.
