Since the 1980s, Munchies has been a staple in the basement of the University Union, providing Binghamton University students with snacks and convenience store items. In the fall of 2006, the business merged with Take One Video, a DVD rental store on campus. Now, Take One Video at Munchies will be closing its doors for good at the end of the semester.

Carl Darling, assistant director of the University Union, said the Office of the Dean of Students decided to close the store after a number of unprofitable years. He attributed the lack of revenue partially to the steadily rising minimum wage.

“The store was opened as a place where the students could get munchies at a reasonable price without leaving campus,” Darling wrote in an email. “It never made a lot of money but we kept it open as long as we could.”

So far, nothing is planned to replace the space. However, once the Dean of Students Office develops a proposal, it will seek student input. The original Munchies, which was located in the Undergrounds table tennis room, came to fruition after a group of students wanted an on-campus grocery store in the 1980s.

The University Union then stepped in to help the plan get off the ground, and two decades later, the store merged with Take One Video. In 2009, Munchies moved to its current location. However, in recent years, the popularity and need for the store began to dwindle, especially after two C-Stores were established in Hinman College and College-in-the-Woods.

“Even though we tried to keep our prices below the C-Stores, students preferred them since they were more convenient and they could use their meal cards there,” Darling said. “We tried to increase our walk-in traffic by offering free DVD rentals hoping it would increase business, but it wasn’t enough for us to continue.”

Moshe Ohana, a senior majoring in accounting, has worked at the store since the fall of 2015. He said he believes movie streaming services contributed to the loss of profits and closing of the store.

“We really haven’t been making any money in the past few years,” Ohana said. “I think that’s because of the rise of people using Netflix and other sources for consuming media and entertainment because a lot of our income did come from the movie section.”

Due to the closing, Munchies is holding a sale that will run until the last day of final exams, and features DVDs on sale for as low as 25 cents.

“I felt that it would be a good idea to sell the DVDs off cheap so our students could afford to buy many,” Darling said. “Since the campus community had supported us for all these years we wanted them to be able to end up with some bargains.”

Some students expressed dismay about the closing, citing it as one of their favorite places on campus. Brandon Gates, a senior majoring in sociology, said he goes to the store almost every day and hopes that something similar will take its place.

“I’m disappointed in the closing,” Gates said. “I hope another convenience type store that has quick breakfast food, drinks and health supplies opens there. That’s what I usually used the store for.”