OneCards accepted by local businesses

More off-campus locations attract student clientele

By Olivia Obineme

Published: Sunday, October 4, 2009

Multiple Towson area businesses have been added to the existing list of places trying to cater to students’ stomachs and wallets simultaneously by joining Towson’s OneCard program.

Select businesses in the area have signed agreements with the University to use the OneCard program, which places a card-swiping machine in their establishments for students to use retail points.

“I think the concept is relatively easy,” sophomore electronic media and film major Jeff Miller said. “I even used it at Bill Bateman’s, and it was pretty simple.”

There are currently 19 off-campus businesses where the OneCard is offered as a choice of payment. The businesses range from salons to restaurants.

“We joined the OneCard program because we are trying to attract a little bit more TU student-clientele,” All About Me Salon and Spa manager Nathalie Sams said.

All About Me Salon and Spa has been using the program in their business for a month and Sams said they are glad they are using the program.

“Now, students would walk by our salon and see they can use the OneCard, so they come in,” she said.

Known for its world-famous cheesesteaks, Jerry’s Subs & Pizza on York Road was happy to allow students to use their OneCard, especially since they have had good results using another college’s OneCard program.

“We have had the TU OneCard for about a year, but we already had the OneCard program with Goucher,” Jerry’s Subs & Pizza manager Jessica Grobe said. “But we decided to get Towson’s as well because Towson is larger and more popular.”

Although many of the OneCard businesses are in walking distance, there are a few that are not, including Miss Shirley’s Cafe on Cold Spring Lane.

“We’ve had the OneCard program for a few years,” Miss Shirley’s manager David Dopkin said.

Some students, including sophomore physics major Alex Siregar, said they would not want to go too far to use their OneCard.

“Unless it was for something really special,” he said.

But Dopkin, whose workers include many Towson students, believes otherwise.

“TU students seem to love the Miss Shirley’s concept of breakfast, lunch or brunch and we’re only nine or 10 minutes away from campus,” Dopkin said.

“I know when I was a college student I would go to the places that would accept my card.”

Courtesy of The Towerlight