Late night cravings when convenience stores are closed can be a source of frustration for students; so can grocery stores farther than walking-distance from campus.
Now, thanks to various student-run snack businesses, students at some universities can be satisfied at almost any hour without leaving the couch.
CU Snacks, operated by Brandon Arbiter and Jordan Davis, serves students at Columbia University in New York seven days a week.
Open Monday through Wednesday from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. and Thursday through Sunday from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m., CU Snacks offers a variety of snack foods and convenience items, Arbiter said.
Arbiter said one of the great conveniences for students is that CU Snacks is run online. Orders can also be telephoned in and, most recently, Davis and Arbiter have created an AOL screen name students can use to contact CU Snacks.
"We try to make it about the students — from providing jobs to delivering food," Arbiter said.
The business is operated out of a dorm basement, dubbed "The Snack Shack," according to Davis.
Since its opening Oct. 14, Arbiter said the business has grown from 10 orders the first night up to 50 orders a night and "is still growing."
CU Snacks is the result of Davis and Arbiter winning a business plan competition last spring. It is a part of Columbia Student Enterprises, run by the Center for Career Education at Columbia.
Matt Bornstein, Kevin Dickson, Robby Klaber and Chris Bennett, students at Brown University in Providence, R.I., took a somewhat different approach when they started their business, DormSnacks, Inc., in October.
DormSnacks offers food and other student staple items such as paper towels, batteries and pens at wholesale prices, according to Bornstein, spokesman for the group.
Students place orders online throughout the week "like they would at another Internet merchant's site," and on Sunday the orders are compiled. Students receive an e-mail reminding them of their order and deliveries are made on foot or by truck, said Bornstein.
"By maintaining a small staff and no inventory while always hunting down the best prices from local suppliers, we offer the best prices and a great service — free delivery," Bornstein said.
In just under six weeks, Bornstein said student response on campus has been quite positive.
"Several customers have asked if we will offer DormSnacks T-shirts for sale," Bornstein said.
Ed Cody and Matt Mandell graduated in May from George Washington University in Washington, D.C., but are still running the business they began in March 2003.
Mandell said their business, Campus Snacks, was intended as a source for a little extra revenue when a Web site he started to sell used textbooks was unsuccessful.
"The book business died, and the snack business boomed," he said.
Cody and Mandell said most orders come through Campus Snacks' Web site and are received instantly at their warehouse where the order is filled and processed.
"We then give the order to one of our delivery people, and it is delivered by bike," Mandell said. "Most orders take about 10 to 15 minutes from the time the order is placed until the time the order is received."
Campus Snacks is open seven days a week and hours are 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Sundays, 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. Monday through Wednesday and 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. Thursday through Saturday.
"The students love the service and know that the ordering and delivery process will always be a positive experience," Cody said.
This article appeared in The Marquette Tribune on Dec. 7 2004.