Pay-what-you-can model debuted in SUB

Last month, the La Ventana hot food location in the University of New Mexico Student Union Building’s Mercado convenience store began piloting the new Fare Share program, which aims to alleviate food insecurity across Main Campus. 

The program allows anyone with a valid LoboID to choose one entree, one side and one drink from La Ventana’s selection of food and beverages, then pay whatever they wish for what they’ve chosen. Fare Share may be used by customers once a day. Any excess revenue, meaning payment that exceeds the cost of providing the meal, is donated directly to the Lobo Food Pantry.

So far, 79 meals have been served through the Fare Share program, Director of Dining and Hospitality at the UNM Food Office Amanda Gerard said. This amounts to about 6.6 meals per day, and students pay on average $4.77 for a meal, which is about 74% of the retail price, Gerard said.

“We were pretty confident that if we saw a loss, it would be manageable to absorb. We don’t really know what is going to happen with this program at this stage,” Gerard said.

Gerard said Fare Share provides a typical retail experience with a flexible payment option.

“You can select however much you want to pay, including zero. Or you can pay more than the retail value if you would like to contribute to the program,” Gerard said. “Students, faculty or staff whoever is using the program, some are paying less than the retail value, some are paying more. But what we’re really looking to cover is the cost of the food and labor.” 

In response to the findings of the UNM Basic Needs Project, an investigation of food insecurity on campus, UNM Food asked prospective food contract partners to submit “innovative proposals” to alleviate food insecurity at the University of New Mexico during the partnership bidding process, Gerard said.

In 2023, the Basic Needs Project found that over half of surveyed higher education students from across New Mexico were considered food insecure by the USDA. Findings from the UNM School of Medicine in 2025 showed that these rates remained consistent among both undergraduate and graduate students. 

Freshman Jerome Adams supports the program. 

“I was not really aware of the program and I have never used it,” Adams said. “I think the Fare Share program is an extremely smart idea, it’s pretty cool that I can get a meal and support the Lobo Food Pantry.”

Junior Anneliesse Gonzalez said the program will help people get the nutrition they need.

“I think the idea is a very good idea, because the funding from people who are paying above retail price will go to another person’s meal,” Gonzalez said. “I think not a lot of people can afford ‘good’ food like prepared meals, and as a result often survive off instant or ‘bad’ food.” 

Shin Thant Hlaing is a beat reporter for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at news@dailylobo.com or on X @dailylobo