By: Mackenzie Byerlee
Features Editor
For students, feeling a sense of belonging at the university is imperative. Roberta’s serves as a place where students feel appreciated and seen.
Manager of Roberta’s, Roberta Read, is the reason that the convenience store is a place students enjoy going to.
“Roberta is genuinely an amazing person. I think for students to come in and see a friendly face means everything,” North Campus Graduate Intern Desirae Ferrara, said.
Located on the first floor of North Campus Midrise, Roberta’s sells products such as ice cream, frozen meals, laundry detergent, toothpaste and so much more.
Having a store on campus where students can purchase items for their dorms is convenient and accessible.
However, Roberta’s did not start in North Campus.
“We started in Conn in 1991 and we were there for 11 years,” Read said. “They decided that we should make this a store and they asked if I wanted to come over here.”
Having run the store for 35 years, Read understands what students are looking for when they come in.
Read also shared that other than the location switch and some added products, not much has changed since her opening.
Speech, language and hearing sciences major Ashley Donahue, a senior, shared that going to Roberta’s with her guide dog Bitsy shaped her experience.
“I feel like I have a really good relationship with Roberta,” Donahue said. “I would go in with Bitsy, and Roberta would spend her own money on dog treats for her.”
As far as the future of Roberta’s is concerned, Read only has one goal.
“Whoever takes over after me, I hope they’re as friendly and helpful to students,” Read said.
Finding a welcoming environment in an unlikely place helps students create connections in addition to just picking up the necessities.
Another factor that draws students in is the fact that they are able to pay for items with their food loot.
This is one way for students to use the money in their accounts and makes for an affordable option.
Roberta’s is open to all students, not just those living in North, allowing anyone to come in.
Having been open for several decades, the influence that Read and Roberta’s as a whole has had on the university community is something that other establishments would not be able to recreate easily.
While other stores are just places that students walk into and do not think about again, Roberta’s shows that the faces behind the business are what makes the entire experience.
“It’s not just convenience, it’s community,” Ferrara said.
