Medford Chinese restaurant Panda Palace will join the Merchants on Points (MOPS) program today, the Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate announced Sunday evening. Panda Palace will replace Rose's Chinese Restaurant as the fourth vendor on the program, which allows Tufts students to order food from off-campus vendors using Points Plus.
The Senate's announcement comes after months of searching for a new vendor, a quest that has included negotiations with at least four different restaurants.
Equipment problems have plagued the search process. Last month, Rose's, on Boston Ave., had to leave MOPS after just two days of operation due to an inability to handle the high number of orders. Dining Services director Patti Lee Klos said that Panda Palace's bigger kitchen was the decision's defining factor. "We knew that students wanted Asian food, so we looked for a restaurant that we thought would have capacity because that was the main issue with Rose's," she said.
Dining Services said they will make sure the fourth vendor has the means to service the average of 100 to 125 MOPS deliveries per evening.
Panda Palace has installed a new phone line to accommodate the increased orders. Klos and the Senate are confident that this time the restaurant will be able to handle the orders.
"Panda Palace is an established restaurant, the family has owned it for 12 years," Klos said. "They're not on the immediate periphery of campus but they have, over the years, provided service to Tufts. They feel they'll be able to keep up with demand."
Panda Palace charges a two dollar delivery fee, but Senate Services Committee member Josh Belkin said it is his understanding that a separate tip is not expected.
Dining Services finalized the terms of the contract with Panda Palace on Thursday. In preparation, Dining Services reclaimed the equipment used for MOPS transactions from Rose's to began training the new restaurant's staff. Panda Palace was also advised on how to familiarize their drivers with the Tufts campus.
Panda Palace differs from current and past MOPS vendors because it is located farther from campus than the other MOPs vendors. The restaurant is 3.2 miles away from campus - a five-to-ten minute drive.
Belkin said the restaurant's distance was not an issue. The only thing that matters is the total time it takes to deliver the order, he said. He speculated that delivery times would be reasonable because of the restaurant's large kitchen.
Belkin says Panda Palace's capacity places his mind at ease. "I feel much better this time around. The restaurant is confident they can handle the additional orders that Tufts students bring in."
Klos said she approached Davis Square's Golden Light and Teele Square's Kee Kar Lau, but the restaurants ultimately said they were not interested.
She expects Panda Palace to make a successful switch to the MOPS program because spring break will give staff more time to get used to the program.
"You might call it a soft opening," Klos said. "It will give the restaurant the opportunity to get used to it as well. It's a more gradual start up."
Menus for Panda Palace will be available on the Dining Services website and Tuftslife.com today.
