The Gujar Mart, or “The Guj” as it is affectionately known, is a quaint convenience store and gas station conveniently located at 404 Mount Hope Avenue at the corner of Gregory Street. It is open until 12:30 a.m. on weekdays and 1:45 a.m. on weekends. Lucky for us it is extremely close to the back entrance to campus.
So, what separates The Guj from other late night convenience stores?
Many people have a misconception that The Guj is located in a bad area and is therefore unsafe.
However, once you walk in and are greeted by the friendly staff you realize that this is not the case.
The Guj is a brightly lit, clean store and is visited by everyone from families to elderly businessmen. Beyond the atmosphere, the real prize of the Gujar lies in their products.
For starters, the Gujar is known for its fine selection of inexpensive alcoholic beverages – assuming you’re 21, of course – including cans of Natty Light for $0.65 and 40s starting at just $1.65. Where else can you get deals like that, especially at midnight? In addition, The Guj offers extremely cheap prices on a multitude of tobacco products. Many people find The Guj a convenient location to purchase alcohol or tobacco products in the late night.
It has even spawned a facebook group, “I go to The Guj for two reasons: Beer and Tobacco.” However, I feel that this is a fairly narrow-minded view of The Guj, which offers multitudes of other products.
During my brother’s visit, I took him to The Guj and he told me that he couldn’t believe so many things could cost only $0.25. Your quarter can get you potato chips, ice cream, pastries and even ice cream bars such as the “Banana Jama” and the “Mighty Mini” ice cream sandwich.
The Guj also stocks numerous grocery items such as a wide array of sauces, pet food, soaps, pastas and canned food, which you would not find at your typical convenience mart. Just today, I walked there and purchased a 24 oz. iced tea, four slim jims and a large bag of cheetos for only $2.98!
In addition, say you start to smell like a bucket of yuck toward the end of your night. The Guj has a wide variety of knockoff colognes and perfumes at the counter ready to save you.
If you suddenly realize you’re going to hook-up with someone, but you’re a little nervous, The Guj has got your back with sexual supplements ready for purchase. They even stock cell phone accessories!
So, the next time it’s getting late and you think there’s nowhere open, you can always count on The Guj. Odds are they have it and odds are its going to be cheap.
Rosen can be reached at jrosen@campustimes.org.
