By Alexa Low

Quincy University opened its Hall of Fame room to a number of local businesses at a new event, Taste of Quincy at QU. One of many events that occurred during opening weekend.

Over 25 restaurants and stores had a chance to showcase their businesses to QU students, offering food and incentives such as koozies and coupons.

The event lasted two hours and attracted a large crowd of eager students wanting to learn about local businesses. While the event is geared towards students of all ages, it is especially helpful for incoming freshmen who are not familiar with Quincy.

“It’s nice to see all the places I was not aware were around me. As a student who does not have a car on campus, it’s nice to learn of these places so my friends and I can plan where we want to go in advance,” Jaredd Williams said.

One of the more popular venues there was the new Smoothie King that was handing out  samples to students. They are very excited to have opened up a new franchise in the Quincy area and are looking forward to partnering with QU for future endeavors.

A Smoothie King employee said the company was very excited about new opportunities and wanted to be the official sponsor of meal replacement smoothies for Quincy University.

It was evident that some businesses already gain a decent amount of revenue from QU students and were participating more to advertise coupons and deals that they had going on rather than attract new clients. Some even treated it as a job fair posting about their open positions available to Quincy students.  

Other businesses were eager to gain the attention of Quincy University by offering student discounts. Some common discounts were from Qdoba, Zoup and Jimmy Johns with some newer discounts coming from Taco Ink, Spring Street Automotive and Underbrinks Bakery.

Underbrinks Bakery recently gained a new owner and she was eager to share her experience  on owning a bakery across the street from campus.

“We get a lot of business from students and teachers at St. Francis but I would really like more QU students to know about us. Starting today, we are offering a ten percent discount to all QU students,” Amy Stevens said. 

Jimmy Johns is one of the closest restaurants to campus and one of a select few who deliver.

Taco ink recently started a program where QU students receive a free drink with the purchase of a meal. For those looking to save some money in other areas, Spring Street Automotive offers seven percent off of parts and labor while The Quincy Symphony Orchestra offers free admission to orchestra and concerts for all QU students. The YMCA does not offer a specific discount but does have a program for college students on a budget.