The Meltdown: An Eastern food item suddenly disappeared from the menu.

Now, as an Eastern University student, the food selection is limited. Throughout my four years here, I’ve witnessed this change as many around. From Jamin Java’s rebranding to Zime and Breezeway’s lunchtime hours changed; I’m sure you’ve noticed it too. While one constant food item has found its way off the menu from both places, one, in particular, was chosen the most, the meltdown.

The meltdown was a buffalo chicken sandwich, often found in Breezeway but also in Jammin Java. Cooks put chicken fingers with cheddar cheese, buffalo sauce, and blue cheese on sourdough bread naming it the meltdown. It was so popular to the point where every table at Breezeway was packed with one of these sandwiches—becoming a rival food item to the cheesesteak, chicken cheesesteak, and macaroni bites. 

It was a unique item at the time, and it was a big reason for me to leave Sparrowk, walk to Breezeway, and spend long hours there. I could eat one of these sandwiches and be full for the rest of the night. I had multiple memories of enjoying this lunchtime or nighttime meal around friends while playing pool. 

However, the popularity caused the portions to get small. Due to the low supply of sourdough bread and buffalo sauce, we would get half the sandwich. It got to the point where people would buy two or three just to get the same quantity they’ve received before.

This got worse over time, leading to the meltdown to be removed from the menu with its high demand. It was sudden, and no one expected this to happen. This led to the same situation happening to the chicken cheesesteak and macaroni bites. While all these items were popular, it caused more labor for the student workers, and supplies were too much to buy. The sandwich would take forever to make, where students would just buy the chicken fingers and fries when the place was packed.

While the meltdown disappeared, food selection had fewer items, making it hard for students to decide what to eat late at night. However, the meltdown did find itself back on the menu as a special for some nights, but it still never fully managed to get recognition from newer students. 

The meltdown isn’t the only item to find itself off the menu. Before me, students have experienced Breezeway selling chicken wings and quesadillas. So whatever food item you love from either Zime or Breezeway, make sure you enjoy it while it lasts because it will come as a surprise when one day it is taken off the menu.