This semester, students have enjoyed the introduction of Korean flavors thanks to Gogobop at USC Village. Enticed by the restaurant, I was excited to experience a new cuisine. However, upon entering the new restaurant, I was quickly disappointed to discover the cafeteria-esque line slopping food into cardboard bowls. 

Dubbed “the corporate slop bowl,” restaurants that serve customizable, fast-casual meals in bowls have been increasingly popular in the past few years. Mentions of bowls on menus increased by 6.5% and 41.6% of U.S. restaurant operators had bowls on the menu in 2025, according to Technomic’s Ignite Menu. USC Village has experienced the rise of slop bowls firsthand with the introduction of Cava in 2017, Sweetgreen in 2025 and now Gogobop in 2026. 

Many people enjoy these places for their customizable options, quick service and consistent meal options; however, it is time to move on from this bland, overpriced mush. 

Although many people appreciate the customization of slop bowls, it can encourage people to avoid experimenting with different flavors and unique combinations — instead leading them to the same, mundane food preferences. 

Food is supposed to be an experience. After trudging through a three-hour lecture, you want a meal that is appetizing and fresh — not one that looks like a hodgepodge mush of vaguely recognizable ingredients. 

Even though you can customize a bowl to your liking, you often lose the intentional cultural flavors of the food. Many corporate slop bowl eateries surround a specific culture and cuisine: for example, Chipotle with Mexican food, Cava with Mediterranean food and Gogobop with Korean food. 

However, your order likely bears little resemblance to the traditional cuisine due to your chosen preferences — you lose out on the authentic flavors of culture for a frankenstein bowl of mashed-up ingredients. 

Furthermore, these companies who sell you culture are extremely corporate. For example, the current CEOs of Chipotle and Cava, Scott Boatwright and Brett Schulman, respectively, are both white men who do not originate from the countries whose cuisine they profit off. 

Both restaurants have hundreds of locations and thousands of employees, which emphasizes the large-scale, westernized production of their food as opposed to their ethnic roots. They do their best to commercialize cultural food, meaning their authenticity will never compare to that of a real local restaurant with family recipes. 

Not only am I tired of slop bowls, but so is my wallet: Bowl chains like Sweetgreen and Chipotle have raised menu prices by 20% and 25%, respectively, over a four-year span, which has outpaced the 17% inflation of grocery stores, according to the New York Times. 

There are actually more choices when you look beyond the established stores at USC Village. Students can look no further than the perimeter of campus, where food trucks congregate daily. There are plenty of opportunities to sample authentic dishes while supporting local businesses rather than corporate conglomerates. 

By alternating your spending habits, you make a small but real difference in a market that persuades change in the economy based on customer response. It may seem futile, but we have already seen action against bowl fatigue take shape: In 2026, Sweetgreen, Chipotle and Cava lost a combined $48 billion in market value, down about 50% from the beginning of this year thanks in part to lessening interest in bowls, according to the Los Angeles Times. 

When you choose to spend your money elsewhere, corporations feel it. By reinvesting into smaller, locally-owned businesses, not only do you receive a better product, but you also support a cuisine culture that prioritizes cultural authenticity. 

People often say “put your money where your mouth is” — so, the next time you’re debating a slop bowl for lunch, put your money where your mouth wants to be and experiment with new, more authentic local flavors.