The new school year has begun, which means juniors and seniors are racing to grab themselves lunch off-campus. Broadway Market and Whole Foods have risen to the top for lunch options, and I am determined to  find a winner when it comes to food variety, travel time, and price.

When interviewing students about what eatery they prefer in terms of food variety, there seemed to be more of a cult-following of Broadway’s hand-crafted sandwiches. Sam Richards, senior, shared that, “Broadway sandwiches just have that… jazz. You can’t find that in Whole Foods.” Though Whole Foods also has customizable sandwiches, students seem to gravitate towards the “jazz” that Sam had mentioned.

That being said, Whole Foods offers tasty sushi, hot food, and salads that beat Broadway by a landslide. In terms of food choices, Broadway misses the cut.

With lunch being a controversial 35 minutes, and the added on  heavy Sonoma traffic due to road work, travel time is a vital factor in determining what eatery is best. Broadway is a 3-5 minute drive, and Whole Foods is closer to a 5-8 minute drive depending on traffic.

Genevieve Smith, a junior, explained that “driving to Broadway used less gas and made it easier to make it back for 6th period.” Adrian Cabrera, senior, agreed and added that the traffic going to Whole Foods “wastes too much of the lunch period”. Broadway clearly wins for having shorter travel time!

Most high schoolers don’t receive a consistent flow of money, so pricing is a crucial factor that may change the outcome of the debate. Sandwiches at Broadway range from $5 to $7, and hot foods are anywhere from $5 to $14. Whole Foods sells sandwiches from $7 to $15, and other hot foods from $5 to $15. Despite their lack of variety, Broadway wins again with their lower prices.

I decided to conduct an informal poll on Instagram asking the same question – “What was the best eatery for lunch: Broadway or Whole Foods?”

After 24 hours, Broadway was the winner with over 70 votes and Whole Foods with 56 votes. Although this poll does not represent the whole junior and senior class, it was answered by upperclassmen that routinely leave to eat lunch off campus.

After my investigations, Broadway Market is awarded as being the best place to go to for lunch. Make sure you stop by the rockin’ deli and market next time you can hitch a ride with your friends off-campus!