Spicy Pie and Starbucks on 12th Avenue are gone

It has come to my attention that there will no longer be a Spicy Pie or Starbucks on 12th Avenue Yes, the ones on the south side of campus right next to Jimmy John’s and Herd and Horns. Starbucks didn’t see 2019, as it closed Dec. 31, 2018. Spicy Pie followed them shortly after, closing Jan. 9. I can’t believe they would take away such opportunity from students. This is, seriously, the worst news I have heard in 2019 so far.

While a lot of people probably don’t care, I can guarantee a lot of people will care. On a positive note, there are other locations in the Fargo area for both Spicy Pie and Starbucks. That being said, we aren’t entirely out of luck. Even so, this still takes away opportunities for college students. You can no longer drunkenly walk to Spicy Pie from your dorm or apartment at two in the morning. You’ll have to order Domino’s for delivery because I’m not certain the other Spicy Pie will deliver to the dorms. You all know how I feel about ordering for delivery. You pay so much extra money in the long run, but now that Spicy Pie is gone, you almost have no choice. Similarly, students who relied on that morning coffee from Starbucks to get them through the day will have to start searching for alternatives. You might have to buy yourself a Keurig or go to the dining center and get some. (The Bison Beanery is a great place to get top-notch coffee).

This move doesn’t make any sense. You would think they shut down because business wasn’t up to par, which is weird. You would think places like Spicy Pie would be booming with business. It was in a prime location right next to campus. They could lure in drunken college students, and, most importantly, their pizza was amazing. The only thing I can think of is maybe their prices were a little too high. Maybe too many freshmen got drunk and ordered Spicy Pie. They would have certainly been satisfied with the food, but when they wake up hungover and find their bank account down $30, they might not make the same mistake twice. There could also just simply be too much competition. Cliché, I know, but it’s not out of the question. You have places like Domino’s, Pizza Hut, Papa Johns, Little Caesars, etc. Even Casey’s the gas station has amazing pizza. I mean the competition is completely real, just look at the list of competitors in the area. On top of this, most of those other pizza places have deals that Spicy Pie just doesn’t. You can’t get a $5 “Hot-N-Ready” pizza from Spicy pie. Spicy Pie doesn’t have a “carryout” special or a “Big Dinner Box.” That being said, it’s very possible they just got outcompeted and couldn’t keep the business going.

Starbucks, on the other hand, is a little more of a mystery. They seemed to maintain steady business throughout their time on 12th Avenue. I suppose students could have realized they were paying $5 a day for their double caramel frappe. They may have adapted by purchasing a coffee maker or somehow shaking their caffeine addiction. I’m not as mad about this one as others, solely because I make my own coffee. However, I don’t make my own pizza.