Students will soon be able to enjoy a new shopping market on Ohio University’s campus.
The market is called the Maggie Davis Market Express, and it’s being built into the Maggie Davis Room on the first floor of Baker University Center. The location of the new market will be adjacent to West 82’s dining area.
“The Maggie Davis Market Express will offer a similar convenience-style retail experience, providing a variety of grab-and-go food and beverage options comparable to those available in the Boyd, Nelson and Jefferson Hall markets,” Chito Trinidad, the assistant director of retail operations, said in an email.
Trinidad also said to support the new operation, the area is undergoing a full remodel.
The construction for the project began in January, according to Trinidad. A soft launch is anticipated for mid to late April, with the market being officially open in time for the upcoming fall semester.
The intended hours at the start are 6-2 a.m. Monday through Sunday.
Students will not be able to use their Flex Points in the new market, but they will be able to use Bobcat Cash as well as credit cards.
According to the Keeping Bobcats Informed, the self-checkout market will feature snacks, beverages, grab-and-go meals and more, with longer hours than other campus markets.
The Maggie Davis Market will work in tandem with West 82, Trinidad said.
“The market is designed to complement West 82 by offering retail food items during the times when West 82 is closed,” Trinidad said. “This helps ensure ongoing food accessibility for students, employees, campus visitors and members of the off-campus community.”
In the Maggie Davis Market, there are five different areas, all beginning with the letter “S”. The check-out kiosk is called Speedy, the drink cooler is called Sips and the food to-go area is called Snacks.
There were two more areas in the market, labeled Spirit and Salty.
Although the market provides students with another food option on campus, there are some concerns among students that the grab-and-go aspect will limit human interaction.
Noelle Baker, a senior studying music production and the recording industry, said the new market seems to be taking away student jobs.
“While I do think it’s a place where students can check out stuff without extra people being there, I think it takes away jobs from other people,” Baker said.
Baker also said she found it odd the market will not be taking Flex Points, since students often use Flex Points at other Baker food areas, such as West 82, Latitude 39 and Front Room Coffeehouse.
Baker also questioned putting the market in a room that used to be a meeting space.
“I was very curious as to why they are inserting it, because it was a room that was used for meetings and other events like that,” Baker said. “I don’t know, they took away an event space to generate more income.”
Hailey Frischstein, a freshman studying journalism news and information, said she also did not understand why the market would be added to Baker Center when West 82 is right next to it.
However, Frischstein said she does not often go to the dining halls, so a market “is beneficial to me, but I don’t know how other people feel about it.”
Frischstein agreed with Baker about the market not accepting Flex Points.
“I do think it will be a problem just because I know so many students, especially toward the end of the semester, they just like to spend (Flex Points) as quickly as possible so the money doesn’t go to waste,” Frischstein said. “I feel like students will not benefit from that.”
Frischstein said she hopes to see some healthier options from the new market.
“I’d hope to see more healthier options because as a freshman, Nelson (Dining Hall) necessarily doesn’t have the healthiest options to eat,” Frischstein said.
Baker said that if she could provide any input to the new market, it would be human interaction.
“I think it would be cool, creating jobs if they’re going to make another market, then make more jobs within it, not just using machines,” Baker said.
Work is still being done on the market, and the grand opening will take place when students return for the fall semester.
