Diamond Dollars is a form of payment linked to the ID cards issued to students of Temple University. However, this form of payment is not accepted everywhere on campus.
Over 100 merchants at Temple take Diamond Dollars, but that does not include the over 50 food trucks on campus streets.
The Crêpe Truck has been a staple at Temple for 11 years and their presence on campus has been recognized in newspapers all over Philadelphia. They were ranked number one food truck at Temple again in 2013. However, they can only take credit or cash, rendering Diamond Dollar-dependent students unable to go to their truck.
Virginia Kyriazis has been the owner of The Crêpe Truck for the past 8 months. Many students come up to the truck asking if Diamond Dollars are accepted and Kyriazis has to turn them away. However, she does understand why trucks are not given the opportunity, “A lot of trucks do come and go every day, we do see a lot of trucks and even though we’ve been here for over 10 years and were hoping to stay for another 10 years, you know, it is a disadvantage for us,” said Kyriazis.
In order to have Diamond Dollars as a form of payment, the companies must go through Temple University’s Diamond Dollar services. But just because they request to use Diamond Dollars does not mean that they will be permitted to do so.
Director of diamond dollars services Scott Brennan said, “The food trucks historically have not been allowed to be involved in the Diamond Dollar program, specifically, because they can drive away in the middle of the night.”
While it is a disadvantage for the trucks, places like Richie’s on campus see Diamond Dollars as a part of the community. His shop uses Diamond Dollars to expand their reach to Temple students who only had the use of Diamond Dollars for payment.
The owner of Richie’s said, “We don’t take credit cards so it is pretty cool to have the Diamond Dollars. You know it gives another option to kids besides using cash. And it is easy because they have the card with them in their hand and stuff so it just makes everything easy like that. At the end of the day, you get involved and become a team player with Temple University.”
Without plans to alter the regulations against allowing food trucks to use Diamond Dollars, students should continue to carry cash or credit to make purchases.
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