With portion sizes decreasing and prices increasing, restaurant customers are getting less bang for their buck than ever before. Fortunately for consumers, there are still a number of local and affordable options to choose from. Every food stop mentioned in this article is located within six miles of the school.

Morning Coffee: Panera Bread (2.0 Miles)

The Ultimate Sip Club at Panera Bread is one of the best deals that any restaurant chain offers. For only $11.99 a month you gain access to a free beverage every two hours. This includes coffee, tea or any fountain beverage. If you were to use your membership every day for a month the average cup of coffee would come out to $0.40.

Breakfast: Tropical Smoothie Cafe (2.4 Miles)

The breakfast options at Tropical Smoothie are the gifts that keep on giving. For only $3.99 you can get the All American Wrap, which comes with bacon, eggs and cheese. If you are willing to splurge an extra $0.50 the cafe offers the Southwestern Wrap, which includes eggs, spinach, grilled chicken, pepper jack, tomatoes and a powerful chipotle mayo sauce. If you join the Tropic Rewards Club, every dollar spent earns you 10 points and these points can be redeemed for free meals and sides.

Lunch: Smoothie King’s Free Upsize Friday (2.0 Miles)

The Shady Grove Smoothie King used to have the notorious $5 Friday deal, where for any smoothie on Friday was only $5. The smoothie chain has now switched to Free Upsize Friday where for only $1 you can upgrade a 20 oz. smoothie to a 32 oz. “I used to always take advantage of the $5 Friday deal and now with the free upsize deal it’s hard to resist, especially knowing that the 32 oz smoothie costs me over $8 regularly,” sophomore Shayan Kurup said.

Happy Hour/Early Dinner: Chadol Korean BBQ (1.7 Miles)

Chadol BBQ is known as one of the highest quality Korean BBQ restaurants in the state and the normal prices definitely reflect that. With a two-person beef dinner costing over $100 normally, the real value comes in the weekday happy hour pricing. The delicious happy hour sides and appetizers are 50% off and are available from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.. The appetizer options include kimchi nachos, fried dumplings, steamed egg, corn cheese and more.

Dinner: Burrito Ranchero Mexican Grill (5.4 Miles)

Burrito Ranchero is one of the biggest hidden gems in the county and is the only stop on the list that is a food truck. The truck is located right across from Quince Orchard High School and cooks up authentic Mexican cuisine until 8 p.m.. One taco costs only $3.50 and they offer a large variety of options ranging from quesadillas and burritos to tortas and platters. “I’ve never been to Burrito Ranchero but now I am going to go because it’s so cheap and is so close. It’s the definition of a hidden gem and seems like a really fun experience,” senior Gillian Berman said.

A great meal doesn’t need to cost an arm and a leg to be great. These discounts and cheap eats show how you don’t have to eat McDonald’s every time or sacrifice any quality for a great experience.