Access adds local businesses

By Lindsey Hart

Nearly two years after its creation, Santa Clara's Access Off Campus Program has expanded from including three businesses to 24, with the addition of several new merchants last month.

Mondo Burrito, Stuft Pizza, and Yum Yum Tree were the first businesses to accept Flex and today Cramer's Bagels and Mission City Coffee Roasting Co., are among the new participants.

The Access Off Campus Program allows students to use their Access cards to make purchases at certain off campus sites using their Flex account.

"The program will continue to grow as the needs of the campus community grow," said Nirmal Palliyaguru, manager of the Access Card Office.

The Access office reports that there are approximately 10,000 active cards per year. An estimated 80 percent of students, faculty, and staff carry their cards on campus daily for various purposes.

Merchants interested in participating in the program take into consideration that the percentage charged by Santa Clara for accepting Access card Flex accounts is slightly higher than credit card rates.

In return for this increased percentage, businesses receive free advertising on campus and the surrounding community. The name of the business is posted in fliers, pamphlets, and bulletin boards produced by the Access office.

"It's good publicity. We try to make it convenient for our customers. We're very service orientated," said George Fota, owner of Rose Garden Auto Care. "That's why we've lasted so long." Fota's business has been in the area for 34 years, but has recently relocated and started accepting Flex accounts as payment. Steve Lau, owner of Quizno's joined the program because students had asked about it. Though Lau said boosting business was not his primary reason for joining, he estimates that there has been a ten percent increase in sales since he began accepting the Santa Clara Access card.

"I like that I always have my student ID with me anyways," sophomore Alexandra Seppala said. "It's a card that I already have and it seems like extra money, so I don't have to use cash or my credit card. It just feels cheaper."

Safeway and Starbucks are two stores many students would like to see accepting Flex.

But the decision to participate in the Access Off Campus program can be complicated for corporate chains where decisions are made at a higher level and individual stores may have no say in the matter.

"The manager (from Safeway) was really proactive and wanted to do it, but he has to go to the corporation and we haven't heard back," Palliyaguru said.

"Why should they accept it? They have our business already," said Judy Anderson Hamed, customer service supervisor for the Access office.

"If we get the okay I would love to bring (the Access program) in. It would probably help out both parties," Kevin Oparowski, Starbucks manager said. Subway owner Marona Nazlou is interested in joining the program soon as well.

While Subway is a franchised business and does not need to ask for corporate permission, he is still determining whether or not it would be a profitable business decision.

"I need to bring students to this side" of campus Nazlou said. "More business is important."

According to Palliyaguru, the Access program first pursued businesses close to the university but as the program grew and more merchants wanted to join, it was expanded to other establishments that students, faculty and staff frequent. Now that the program has defined itself, businesses are approaching the Access office asking about the program.