What’s the first thing most University students from Chicago do the moment they get home? Call up their friends and grab some dinner at Portillo’s or Lou Malnati’s.

As college students, we often feel deprived of great food for nine months out of the year while we are at school. Don’t get me wrong, I love me some Wingin’ Out or Antonio’s, but those restaurants pale in comparison to some of the great eats in Chicago such as Al’s Beef or Pequod’s.

Now imagine the utopia that would be Champaign-Urbana if these Chicago stalwarts set up shop on campus. There would be euphoria throughout the student population.

Just look at the one Chicago-style pizza place in the area: Papa Del’s. Papa Del’s is a fantastic take on Chicago deep-dish pizza, and many students’ favorite place to eat on campus. Just imagine how crazy students would go for some Giordano’s on Green Street for a nice dinner.

Having these Chicago restaurants open up a franchises in Champaign-Urbana doesn’t just fulfill the needs of starving college students; it also makes great sense for these legendary restaurants. As packed as Green Street is with restaurants, most of these places are just large, national chains.

For a city as rich in food culture as Chicago, the current Champaign-Urbana options would offer little competition to the Chicago heavyweights. Just putting their names on the front of restaurants will make profits shoot through the roof. Given how many Chicagoans are here on campus, and how many non-Chicagoans would love the improved restaurant scene, there is no question these businesses would thrive in our smaller college town.

Some students and locals will certainly be concerned about campus mainstays such as Mia Za’s or Maize and worried about their stability if Chicago restaurants were to set up satellite locations in Champaign-Urbana.

However competition between restaurants is never a bad thing for consumers, and would only force existing restaurants on campus to up their quality of food or lower their prices to keep their demand in check. It’s a win-win for all of us here and I doubt the popular restaurants that currently reside here will be in danger of going under anytime soon.

And it’s not just the deep-dish places I’m suggesting should catch the next bus traveling down I-57. Chicago has some of the best food in the world largely thanks to its diverse population. With some of the most dense cultural groups ranging from Mexican to Italians to Polish, it is no wonder the city’s food culture has shined over the years. From delicious hot dogs (just don’t put on ketchup) to Italian beef, Chicago is famous for more than its pizza.

But regardless of where you are from, you should always welcome more quality restaurants coming to campus. There are several good restaurants on campus and elsewhere in Champaign-Urbana, but how great would it be to have some classic Chicago food at your fingertips year round?

I know most of us here are on a stereotypical college-student budget, which usually limits us to some ramen and a questionable leftover pizza in the fridge. But I don’t think there are many of us out there that wouldn’t sacrifice the money we spend on one night out for some high-quality deep-dish right now.

So as the weather becomes bearable again, and you find yourself taking a stroll down Green Street deciding between Subway and Pizza Hut, take a moment out of your day to write to your local Chicago restaurant and kindly suggest they move down here before you graduate.

Jason is a senior in LAS. 

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