Those enjoying Krishna Lunch this week may have received something extra with their meal - a flier.
On Monday, meal servers began handing out the fliers, detailing the economy's impact on meal costs.
In the past two months, the amount of Krishna Lunch served increased 20 percent from 2008, while donations are down about 15 percent, according to the flier. Students are being encouraged to avoid waste, make a donation, discourage sharing plates and donate again for take-home meals.
Krishna Temple president and meal server Carl Woodham, who is known as Kalakantha das, said the situation is not an ethical issue.
"It's financial," Woodham said. "If we could, we would feed the world for free."
Between 600 and 1,000 people every weekday eat the lunch and more than 50 percent of donations go toward food costs alone, Woodham said. Krishna Lunch also has to pay servers, cleaners and cooks minimum wage. Right now, the lunch loses $400 a day, meaning about 100 people are sharing plates or not donating.
If this trend continues, Krishna Lunch will resort to other strategies to make money, such as asking for a donation for each serving, handing out "seconds" coupons and eliminating discounts on lunch cards.
"We have a loving relationship with the students," he said. "We certainly don't want to disappoint."
