The signs outside of the University Store's U-2 convenience mart pose the question, "U-2, 24/7, How convenient is that?" According to students who have taken advantage of the newly extended hours, the answer is very.
"The 24-hour thing is nice to have when you're studying late at night," Natalie Kurz '04 said. "It's definitely something I appreciate."
The U-2 convenience store changed its hours as of last Sunday and will now be open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for the duration of the school year.
In the past, "the U-2" remained open until 2 a.m., and according to some late-night customers, this change is something the student body has been pulling for over the past few years.
In fact, U-Store president James Sykes said students on the store's board suggested the change, and research indicated it would be a good idea.
Apparently, it was. The U-store is more successful now than at this time last year.
"We are up 19 percent in store sales compared to last year, and we think a lot of that has to do with the extra hours," Sykes said.
The change places U-2 in direct competition with the Frist Campus Center, which closes at 2 a.m., and perhaps more notably with the Wawa, which is open 24 hours.
U-Store sales clerk Jeffrey Venezia said he believes the location and hours will profit the store, especially in inclement weather.
"People do not have to travel far from home to get what they need," he said. "They can stay on campus, and it is safe that way."
One upperclassman said the Wawa market near Forbes College was always her favorite place to go late at night.
But now that the U-2 is open 24 hours, it is simply more convenient.
In addition to bottled drinks, snack foods, coffee, cigarettes, utensils and cleaning supplies, U-2 offers 24-hour photo processing and a refrigerated case of sandwiches, salads and soups supplied by Olives', the upscale deli on Witherspoon Street.
Others still prefer the 'Wa, however, where Princeton class banners decorate the interior.
One student standing in line at the 'Wa joked that he chose the 'Wa over U-2 because of its dancing music.
The 'Wa — which is close to both the Graduate College and Forbes — is also larger than U-2, and boasts a selection ranging from healthy choices such as fruit and yogurt to ice cream and the irreplaceable favorite of many students: the 'Wa hoagie.
One 'Wa employee who asked to remain unnamed is not worried about the hour change at the U-2. "No matter how long the line is, they still come and wait," he said. "Customers love this place."
Competition aside, there is one thing that the change in hours at the U-2 does accomplish, according to Venezia.
"It helps President Bush increase employment opportunities," he said.
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