The local Domino's has been barred, at least temporarily, from accepting Tufts points as a means of payment because the university recently learned that the franchise changed ownership last year.
"If the restaurant changes ownership, they're not automatically still on points,"
Director of Dining Services Patricia Klos said, noting that someone must inform the university of the change and re-apply to the Merchants on Points program. Domino's, however, did not notify Dining Services.
Whether Domino's will be able to accept points again is now up to the student body. Klos said that whenever a restaurant changes ownership, Dining Services leaves it up to a vote to determine whether the university will continue to let it be part of program.
The Tufts Community Union Senate will conduct a poll to that end around mid-October, according to sophomore and Services Committee Chair C.J. Mourning.
"It will be a decision that the student body makes and that the Senate supports," she said.
While Domino's changed ownership last September, the university did not find out about the switch until this summer. Klos said that had Dining Services known earlier, a poll could already have been conducted.
Henry Askew, the new owner of the franchise, acknowledged that he should have "done the right thing" and informed Tufts when he took over, but said that the old owner had suggested he tell the university that the restaurant had not changed hands.
Even given his omission, he feels that Domino's has not been treated fairly by Tufts. He said that a poll should been conducted this summer after the university learned about the change, and also that recent reactions to the restaurant not accepting points should be a sufficient indicator that the student body wants it back in the program.
"We have about 500 signatures from students," he said. "They are constantly calling and complaining."
These complaints have correlated with a loss of business for the franchise. According to Askew, not being on points has cost Domino's "a significant amount of money," although he declined to be more specific.
Also contributing to this economic loss is a newly-enforced law stating that restaurants in Medford cannot be open past 2 a.m.
Previously, Domino's had not closed until 4 a.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, but now shuts its doors earlier as the franchise works on challenging the restriction.
It was during one such challenge that the university first learned that the franchise changed ownership. According to Askew, Tufts representatives were at a town hall meeting during which he defended the restaurant's right to stay open past 2 a.m.
The Domino's saga has raised some broader concerns among students who feel that students using points should have more late-night (up to 4 a.m.) options.
"I think that there needs to be a place that's open that late that takes points. Kids are on meal plans and have these points that have been already paid for," sophomore Alex Scaros said.
There have also been calls for Dining Services to allow more restaurants to accept points.
Currently, Espresso Pizza, Andrea's House of Pizza, Wing Works, Pasta Pisa/Caf?© de Crepe and Panda Palace are the only restaurants that accept them, but Klos said that all Dining Services can do is fill the missing slot and bring the number back up to six.
"We're not physically able to process more than six restaurants at a time," she said, noting that Dining Services is working on correcting this for next fall.
"Big changes are always better at the beginning of a school year," she said.
