Students and Athens residents can now skip the phone book when looking for restaurants because of the launch of a Web site aimed at providing a directory of area eateries.
Campusmenus.com, owned and operated by Scott Himmel, has been operating in Athens since Tuesday. The site contains information for 33 restaurants and 10 bars. Students might have noticed various sidewalk chalking and a 24-foot U-Haul truck with a Campusmenus.com sign attached to the side.
It's helpful to visualize all the options
Himmel said. You might find something you didn't know about.
Athens met Himmel's requirements for expansion, including a large student population, a greek system and only a moderate number of students living on-campus, which means they are less reliant on the university dining halls.
He said the response from businesses has been wonderful.
(Businesses) only pay for the exposure they receive Himmel said, declining to provide specific numbers.
The 33 restaurants and 10 bars include national chains, such as Buffalo Wild Wings Grill and Bar, 21 W. Union St., Damon's, 859 E. State St., and Pita Pit, 8 N. Court St., and local favorites such as Skipper's Bar & Grill, 22 W. Union St., Union Street Cafe, 70 W. Union St., and O'Betty's Red Hot, 15 W. State St.
The site provides a complete menu, hours of operation, payment information and specials for each restaurant and bar, and the information is at the discretion of owners, Himmel said. He added the deals usually are exclusive to the Web site.
The site enables restaurant owners to put their name in front of students when it matters most - when they're hungry and deciding where to eat Himmel said in an e-mail.
Students also can register for a bi-monthly e-mail called CampusCrunch that features unique discounts.
The company is based in Cleveland and serves five other markets; Vanderbilt University, Miami University, Loyola University-New Orleans, Belmont University and Tulane University, where Himmel graduated in 2004.
- Justin Thompson
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