By MIA QUICK
Web Editor
After 100 years of providing a bustling campus life and income for the community, local businesses must do their best to account for the missing customers after Saint Roses’ closure.
Madison Ave. provides heavy traffic from the hospitals, firefighters, and UAlbany, Sage, and Saint Rose students. The area surrounding campus seemed like the prime place for businesses such as Ruby City, Motor Oil Coffee, and Viva Cinco de Mayo to make their home and profit off of students.
“It’s going to open up a big hole where the school used to be and seeing what happens to switch that space and what it used to be is going to be kind of weird at first,” said Wyatt Carbonneau, manager of Motor Oil Coffee, “It might adversely affect the community at first but then they’ll figure out what to do with it,” he said.
Carbonneau has hopes that the campus will be turned into housing or that another school will take Saint Rose’s place, and that the situation will work itself out. Motor Oil Coffee began as an online shop that eventually opened up store fronts on State St. before branching out to Madison Ave. in June of last year due to the heavy foot traffic from students and its overall location.
For Motor Oil Coffee, students make up roughly 65% of their customer demographic and for restaurants like Ruby City, they make up over 80%. One of Ruby City’s owners, Yu Liew, said that not only does she see more students than residents, students and their families are willing to pay much more.
Additionally, Yu said that she has grown close to the students, “The students come that know me and I say, go back to your school, tell your teacher, tell your friend, and come here and remember my name, Yu. You’re gonna have a free soda.” she said. One student even calls her mommy.
Ruby City recently had their grand opening after leaving New York City and while they had a slow beginning, their business began to pick up pace with the start of the semester. Yu is worried about the closure and what it could mean for Ruby City. She plans on extending their reach to about five miles around the restaurant and reach out to new customers such as the hospital, businesses, families, and potentially begin catering. Previously, she did not have to do any advertising as Ruby picked up business and was lucky enough to be surrounded by Saint Rose and other nearby schools.
Students at Saint Rose also make up a large portion of the online customer base through DoorDash and Uber, and provide a source of income for drivers. For Viva Cinco de Mayo, most of their student orders are from online.
Itzel Merino, UAlbany student and daughter of the owner’s of Viva Cinco de Mayo, said that the online orders give her restaurant a boost. She also fears that the closure will greatly impact their sales.
After the school is gone Viva Cinco de Mayo will continue to provide culture and authentic food for UAlbany and Sage students but have already noticed the effects of the closure. “A lot of people in this community have gone to Saint Rose or other schools and it really has become a part of the community,” said Merino, “So taking that away, it causes an identity crisis for a few people. “
Much like Ruby City and Motor Oil, Viva Cinco de Mayo is familiar with students consistently visiting their restaurants and bringing their friends and family along with them. Viva Cinco de Mayo has been around for roughly seven years and while they were shocked by the closure, they are optimistic that their business will survive.
So much is up in the air with the future of Saint Rose and therefore, the Albany community. Businesses like Motor Oil Coffee are worried about the lack of foot traffic giving the impression that their store is closed, but they are prepared for the extra effort they may have to put in. Many of the businesses have plans to work around the closure and seemed almost as concerned for the students as they were for their stores.
Merino, as a UAlbany student, welcomes transfers with open arms, “We’re a community, it’s better for all of us to be together.”
