News Brief: Uni-Mart to close its doors tonight

Uni-Mart to close its doors tonight

After 25 years of providing students with late-night munchies, the convenience store known as Uni-Mart will say its final goodbye to Penn before the night is out. Although the lease for Friendly Express, commonly known as Uni-Mart, expires about three weeks from now, the store will end its business operations by "mid-to-late evening" today, District Manager Rick Denton said. Last night, students purchasing the last few items from near-empty shelves expressed their disappointment and disgust with the store's removal. "I think it's a loss. It's really convenient and close to everything," Veterinary School student Danielle Bartram said about the store, which is located on the corner of 40th and Locust streets. A petition to keep the store open reached 1,000 names last Saturday. But Joe Scelza, the employee who started it, did not mail it to Penn officials because he said he realized it was too late to change anything. Top Penn real estate officials have said that a restaurant will possibly fill the location and that Freshgrocer.com, slated to open in November, will help meet student food shopping needs. "There still is a CVS and Campus Market -- two operators open until 11 or 12 at night -- in that vicinity," added John Greenwood, a top official for the University's real estate company. But many students said they do not think Friendly Express can be replaced. "We really need something that's quick and easy. There's nothing left," College sophomore Nicole Giuliani said. "CVS doesn't have as many drinks and food items [and] Campus Market is way too expensive," College junior Evangelos Gatzogiannis said. But while Denton believes the expired lease "created a window of opportunity for Penn to get us out" in light of its plans to revitalize the 40th Street corridor, he said he does not blame anyone. Two-year employee Sonya Skelton, popular among students, said she is considering seeking employment at the Starbucks at 34th and Walnut streets. -- Victoria Sun