Student businesses bring in the dough

Why wait until graduation to enter the business world? Several University undergraduates are getting a head start on their entrepreneurial ambitions by starting their own independent business ventures, ranging from a bagel catering service to a grocery delivery service. MY Grocery, a grocery delivery service, was created last semester by Wharton sophomore Eitan Melamed and College sophomore Ben Yarborough. Students can order the groceries at any time over the Internet at http://www.campusfood.com -- an on-line restaurant delivery service started by another Penn student last year. According to its creators, convenience is MY Grocery's greatest asset. "The prices at Wawa are so high, and Thriftway is so inconvenient to get to, that we look appealing," Melamed said. "It's really easy because it's on-line," Yarborough added. "And once you register, you can place orders very quickly." Bagels Direct, created by Wharton senior David Schwartz, delivers brunches to resident advisors and graduate associates in the college houses. "We buy our food from a local bakery downtown [and] we make a package full of orange juice, bagels, cream cheese and donuts," Schwartz said. Both student-run businesses are seeking to expand. "We're hoping to get a lot of orders, so later we can hire more people," Melamed said. "I'm looking to expand into the rest of campus," Schwartz said. "Eventually, I'd like to service individuals who want to purchase food." The success of MY Grocery and Bagels Direct can be attributed to the commitment of their founders. Melamed and Yarborough often deliver groceries on Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to around 5 p.m. Schwartz also delivers his groceries on Sunday mornings. Schwartz said the idea for his business arose from one of a number of Wharton courses geared to helping undergraduate entrepreneurs. "Our goal is to teach different approaches, research so we understand them and then go out and help the students," said Mark Fraga, managing director for Wharton Entrepreneurial Programs. "Bagels Direct grew out of my entrepreneurial management classes," Schwartz said. "It got my mind set on constantly thinking up new ideas." He credits Management Professor Jeffrey Babin with helping to develop the idea of Bagels Direct. "In the beginning, we talked through the process and about how to go about finding a supplier," Schwartz said. Melamed and Yarborough said they created MY Grocery without the help of a Wharton class. "I had a car, and we figured we could do it," said Yarborough. Schwartz had some words of advice for Penn students interested in earning some extra money. "I think if you plan on doing it, you might as well get started on it as soon as possible," said Schwartz. "You can never learn enough." And Fraga stressed the importance of students taking the initiative and starting an independent business. "Entrepreneurship is a large part of what makes America great," he said.