If you’re tired of the fine dining offered at Haven and Sadler, or just sick of fighting with Kazaa to pirate movies, Marshall street may have a few fresh surprises for you.

Attempting to join hall-of-famers such as Varsity Pizza and Manny’s are a quartet of new, versatile businesses in Campus Plaza ready to turn students’ heads and pull in student dollars.

First off is the Dugout, a homegrown video rental place whose mastermind, Sebastien Monnier, just happens to be a sophomore in The College of Arts and Sciences. Sebastien and his father, Hank Stohr, are opening September 15 to a virtual lack of competition – for freshmen and any other Orangemen and Orangewomen without a means of transportation off-campus, the Blockbuster on Erie might as well be in Ithaca.

‘I remember being a freshman and having to carpool all the way down to Blockbuster.’ Monnier said. ‘I just wanted to make it easier to rent movies on campus’

And Blockbuster will be all but obsolete for SU students when the Dugout begins offering its large collection of DVDs and VHS tapes 50 cents short of Blockbuster’s going rate of $4, Monnier said. If ‘Tuck Everlasting’ isn’t up your alley, a selection of video games and adult movies will help feed your appetite for something more interactive.

An on-campus locality that sometimes heard requests for movies may be hearing less as well thanks to Dugout..

‘I work at the library and people want to take out movies all the time,’ said Abby Vogus, a senior in The College of Arts and Sciences. ‘ We don’t let them do that so having a rental place nearby is a good idea’

The Dugout’s neighbor, although new to the location and the name, is nothing new for SU alumni. Chuck’s opens one floor above the spot where Hungry Charlie’s made its name back in the ’70s as a sports bar and all-around student hangout.

‘We’re more than just a bar,’ said Sam Kumon, Chuck’s managing partner, ‘We hope to have Internet access in the future as well.’

Kumon, along with his partner and Chuck’s owner Mark Janov, are both SU grads themselves and hope to recreate the bar’s old school atmosphere with a Ms. Pacman machine, wall murals taken from the old restaurant and tables adorned in graffiti from the bar’s heyday. Low prices and real New York grub adds to Chuck’s atmosphere, Kumon said. With the kitchen open till 1 a.m., even the most fastidious student can make it down for a quick bite.

Two small restaurants make up the rest of the quartet of newcomers in Campus Plaza, each with its own spin on college dining. Baha Burrito, a tiny yet immaculate mexican place with broad tables for studying, offers a free soda to anyone in possession of an SU ID. And as of Aug. 28, you can have any a manner of mexican delight delivered to your dorm. Next door is Kim’s Seoul Buffet, a quiet establishment specializing in Korean cuisine. The restaurant’s lack of advertising makes it nearly invisible to passersby, so if you’re looking for a real quiet eat, look no further than Kim’s.

Published on August 27, 2003 at 12:00 pm