While underclassmen bring lunch from home or eat from the cafeteria, seniors have the freedom to go off-campus for food during the lunch period. This freedom allows upperclassmen to choose from many different restaurants in the area. Senior Ella Plowman has her own personal preferences on the best spots for lunch

“My friends and I go to this place called Snow Monster a lot,” Torrini said. “There’s also a Dairy Queen nearby. And I know there’s a KFC and P. Terry’s not too far away.”

While chain restaurants abound, non-fast-food options, like Snow Monster, are available as well. Mod Pizza is one of many restaurants in the Mueller area. Phillip Schull, an employee at Mod, said that he sees both LASA students and teachers coming in on a regular basis.

“Students need to be able to get in and out of here for their lunch break,” Schull said. “We have a lot of high turnovers. People don’t stay here long, so the speed is definitely a part of it. We also have freedom of customization.”

Schull said that part of Mod’s appeal is the large number of toppings it has and the fact that customers can choose as many toppings as they want for the same price. If LASA students are limited by time or money, Mod’s toppings allow for a wide variety of choices. Torchy’s Tacos, which started as a food truck, now operates a location right next door to Mod, in the Mueller shopping center. Michael May, an employee at Torchy’s, felt that it was a fun and easy place to hang out.

“I see all kinds of people here,” May said. “There’s not really a specific type of customer. The people that work here are also very diverse. So students see themselves in the restaurant, and they see food they like.”

Lunch spots are not lacking for those interested in going off-campus. Based on a student’s mood, there is a wide array of available to suit these cravings.
“I love that there’s such a variety of options close by,” Plowman said. “It’s nice to have restaurants for whatever I’m interested in.”