By the middle of first semester, most University of Wisconsin students who live in residence halls share a common complaint: cafeteria food.

For those students who can hardly wait to get home to have a home-cooked meal, the State Street Meal Plan is an alternative option to the residence-hall meal plan.

The State Street Meal Plan acts as a debit account. Students only pay for what they eat, and the money rolls over from semester to semester.

Some users, however, do not feel the plan is efficient or beneficial.

UW sophomore Jeff Cohen uses the State Street Meal Plan.

“It really doesn’t give you any advantage,” he said. “You can have your own debit card, and then you would not be limited to the restaurants that are specific to the plan; you could go anywhere.”

The card is accepted at about 17 restaurants on and around State Street, including Amy’s Café, Charlie’s Grilled Subs, Kollege Klub, State Street Brats and Sunroom Café. It can also be used for delivery from places such as Gumby’s Pizza.

The State Street Meal Plan is run by UW students and alumni who are part of Off Campus Inc. The company has no affiliation with the university.

Mike Dolezal, regional director of Off Campus Inc., said the meal plan gives students the opportunity to eat out more often.

“There are parents who are nervous to give their kids large amounts of money or a credit card,” he said. “For these families, the State Street Meal Plan is a good option.”

The university offers students a price of estimated costs for a residence-hall meal plan. According to the State Street Meal Plan’s website, students who do not always use their plan can benefit from the State Street plan.

Off Campus Inc. also highlights a restaurant of the week, which offers special deals for cardholders.

Cohen said he does not feel the restaurant of the week is beneficial because he doesn’t want to eat in the same restaurant all week.

Dolezal said next year students will most likely have the option of a coupon book rather than having the restaurant of the week, so students will have the option to use the coupons when they choose.

The State Street Meal Plan has been beneficial to restaurants by bringing in customers who may not have otherwise eaten there.

“It probably brings in an extra 20 students a week that otherwise wouldn’t have come in if they did not have the option,” said Ryan Hoelker, manager of State Street Brats.

Simone Rowley, an employee at Sunroom Café, said the State Street Meal Plan is an efficient method of payment.

“It’s about as fast as any credit card,” Rowley said.