The Winter Quarter opening of Ohio University's new Baker University Center has Uptown businesses worried that a restaurant there could provide some spicy competition.
Sean Kiser, general manager of Court Street Diner at 18 N. Court St., said he thinks the first-floor restaurant, called Latitude 39, will steal some of the Uptown pedestrian traffic and decrease the diner's sales. The diner, which has been in business since 1997, has about a 50-50 ratio of student and Athens-residential customers, he said.
The menu at Latitude 39 will include appetizers, salads, sandwiches, pasta, vegetarian dishes, steaks and seafood that use locally grown ingredients, said Emily Howard, a marketing manager for Auxiliary Services. Latitude 39 also will serve alcoholic drinks. Lunch meals will start at about $7 and dinners will start at about $9. The restaurant will accept Bobcat Cash, cash and Visa/MasterCard, as well as the newly created Dining Dollars, which will be attached to most student meal plans.
Michelle Stamolis, a senior accounting major at OU and server at Skipper's Bar and Grill on West Union Street, said she thinks the center's dining options will deplete the Uptown food business but will be more pleasing to students.
I like that students can use their meal plans
and I know I would rather eat there than in the dining hall Stamolis said.
As for Skipper's, We hope we have customer loyalty and that our specials and service will keep bringing our customers back Stamolis said.
Quinn Schaller, general manager of Big Mamma's Burritos at 10 S. Court St., said he doesn't see Latitude 39 as competition, but he thinks the quick-service food options in the center's food court, Campus Core '-
Schaller said of the student center having what OU had deemed a fine-dining restaurant.
I think it's something that the university needs for its events. It's hard for some of the local fine-dining restaurants to accommodate some of the university's events.
Howard said Latitude 39 and the new Baker University Center will help showcase OU and how it is reaching out to the community, without negatively affecting other city businesses.
We don't want to directly compete with Uptown businesses
Howard said. We don't want to take away from others.
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Anthony May, a sophomore criminology major and server at Skipper's, clears glasses and bills from a table while working last night. Skipper's is one of many uptown businesses that may be effected by the opening of the new student center and the resta
