After opening nearly a month ago, the restaurants in the new Marketplace on Grand Valley State University’s Allendale Campus have seen success.

The Marketplace, which is now located across the street from the Student Services Building and next to the new P. Douglas Kindschi Hall of Science, includes a Starbucks and a Which Wich Superior Sandwiches.

Although the majority of students have left campus, both Starbucks and Which Wich have seen student traffic through their doors and are expected to gain even more when the fall semester begins in August.

“With reduced populations on campus, Starbucks is slow,” said Deb Rambadt, marketing director of campus dining. “We expect that will change dramatically in the fall when the campus population increases and the construction around the building is completed.

Rambadt is excited that Which Wich is “off to a great start.”

“For those who are new to the brand, they are surprised at the number of options and impressed with the food quality,” she said.

Both businesses are not only bringing in their loyal fan base, but they are also generating new and enthusiastic customers.

When the announcements were made about which restaurants would be in the Marketplace, Rambadt was happy to hear that students reacted well to both.

“The response to the Starbucks announcement was overwhelmingly positive,” Rambadt said. “That was no surprise given its popularity and that the Allendale campus community has been requesting the brand for some time.

“The Which Wich announcement generated curiosity,” she said. “Those that were already familiar with the brand were excited and eager for the location to open.”

While Starbucks is a well-recognized name, Which Wich is still getting their name and brand out there.

Hala Habal, vice president of corporate communications for Which Wich was excited to open up shop at GVSU.

“We’re focusing on a campus development,” Habal said. “College kids are a natural fit for our brand because they are completely in control of the many different options.”

Habal also believes that the “different experience” at Which Wich will catch on when school starts back up in the fall.

“We have this ‘sandwich-faction’ guarantee,” Habal said. “If you don’t love the sandwich you have, we’ll make you a whole different one.”

Habal, along with the rest of the company, takes pride in their use of technology.

“You can make your order online and send it in to the store on campus,” Habal said. “Then you can swing by before class to pick it up; you won’t even have to wait in a line.”

Another aspect of the Campus Dining additions in the Marketplace is more jobs. Both Starbucks and Which Wich will be fully staffed with students.

Rambadt said the initial planning for the process of opening up new dining options on campus started about two years ago.

“Several things are taken into consideration when deciding new venues,” she said. “We start by evaluating what we already have on campus and how it’s performing.”

After that, they look at the results of Campus Dining surveys and student feedback. They also meet with the GVSU food committee to discuss possible concept ideas and if those concepts are realistic for GVSU.