Eating out is fun. Eating out on a budget is not. That's where student discounts come in.
Tax-free food can be purchased at BYU with a swipe of a student ID card. But the campus isn't the only place that offers discounts. Rather than forgoing fast food and restaurants during college, students who bring their student ID cards to eat out can receive a discounted meal and save money.
Rumbi Island Grill's Kahuna Burger, like all other items on their menu, can be purchased with a 10 percent discount using a valid student ID. (Elliott Miller)
Another option for students is to keep their receipts after they eat. Larger restaurant chains print receipts with instructions to fill out online surveys for free items.
Save 10 percent with ID
At Pita Pit and Rumbi, there is a 10 percent discount off each order with proof of a valid student ID.
'We have a lot of students come in here,' Pita Pit manager and BYU alumna Amy Pettigrew said. 'A lot of our employees are also students, and we know what a financial commitment students have so we do our best to help students.'
Such deals offer motivation for students to eat out at certain places.
'I don't eat out very often, but I'd be more inclined to go Pita Pit more if there's a 10 percent discount there,' Jacob Fisher, a sophomore from Riverton, Utah, said.
Fill a survey, get the food
Chick-fil-A's survey receipts are generated randomly, but any purchase could come with one of those random receipts. Students can receive a free chicken sandwich with a completed online survey.
Taco Bell gives out receipt surveys with every purchase. Completion of those surveys gets you one free item depending on store location.
Panda Express also prints survey instructions with every receipt. The surveys take no longer than five minutes and result in a free entree with a purchase of a two-entree plate.
Einstein Bros. Bagels offers free beverages to customers who fill out their online surveys. Any purchase there comes with the receipt survey as well.
College loyalty program
Brick Oven has a college loyalty program that requires a student ID to sign up. The college loyalty card provides half-off pizza once a week. To sign up, go to Brick Oven and present a valid student ID.
'I got the card when I was a freshman,' said Rebecca Zimmerman, a sophomore from Paducah, Kentucky. 'One time my roommates and I used all of our cards to have a pizza party.'
Added value for students
Other restaurants offer student meal options instead of percentage discounts or online surveys. With a student ID at Costa Vida, the special of the day comes with a free drink.
At Mooyah, there is a student meal plan that comes with a burger, small fries and a drink.