The Nubian Message has observed that prices at Talley Student Union have risen compared to the past school year, leaving NC State students paying more for food and drinks at one of the university’s most popular dining locations.
Located in the center of main campus, Talley Student Union serves as a hub for dining, studying and general student life. The multilevel building has several restaurants, including Port City Java, Jason’s Deli, Los Lobos, One Earth and Tuffy’s Diner, as well as the Talley Market, where students can purchase snacks and a variety of premade meals. Its large seating areas and close proximity to classrooms and residence halls make it one of the busiest spaces on campus.
The NC State Dining website lists all Talley dining locations and notes that menu items and prices are “subject to change without notice.” This policy allows vendors to adjust prices in response to labor and supply expenses. While this is standard practice in university dining, it also means price changes can occur without direct communication to students, families or faculty.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service, “food away from home,” prices which include restaurants, cafés and campus dining rose 3.9 percent from August 2024 to August 2025. The national increase reflects higher labor, transportation and ingredient costs that continue to affect food providers across the country.
The Nubian Message spoke with several students to see whether they had noticed a change in pricing across Talley’s restaurants and the Talley Market. Most either declined to be interviewed or said they had not noticed any difference.
One student we interviewed, Lana Bess, a second-year materials engineering student had this to say when asked about the price changes; “Definitely it’s gotten kind of crazy actually.”
When asked how the changes have affected her spending habits on campus, she added, “Yeah, I think I definitely don’t buy as many snacks as I usually would. But like even the little meals are like literally 10 to 15 dollars which they definitely didn’t used to be.”
For students living on campus, Talley and other NC State dining locations such as the dining halls like Fountain, Clark or the Atrium near D.H. Hill Library remain essential for daily meals. Limited kitchen access in residence halls makes alternatives like cooking at home more difficult.
NC State’s, Dining Strategic Plan Final Report, includes language about supporting “a meal plan price increase and subsequent door price,” to maintain facilities and services. Although the report primarily refers to meal plans, it reflects ongoing adjustments to offset rising costs across the dining system.
According to that USDA’s report, food away from home prices are expected to rise another 3.3 percent by 2026. If those projections are true, NC State and other universities may continue to see gradual price adjustments at campus dining locations.
Despite the increases, Talley remains a cornerstone of campus life, offering students a convenient space to eat, socialize and study. As food costs continue to rise nationwide, the student union reflects a larger economic reality that extends beyond NC State’s campus. For now, Talley remains as busy as ever but the cost of eating there may continue to climb.
