They structured the business to offer products that students can’t find in dormitory vending machines or corner stores. And if they can, Davis and Arbiter have faith that most students would rather tip a delivery guy from CU Snacks than change out of their pajamas to make the trip to the corner store – no matter how close it may be. Davis, who oversees inventory, said the key strategy is to offer as many unique items as possible. “I try and look for stuff that people used to eat when they were younger then totally forgot about,” said Davis, a senior in Columbia College. These items include Whatchamacalits candy bars, Fruit by the Foot snacks and Gushers fruit snacks.

Bags of chips and boxes of candy and fruit snacks fill the stockroom at CU Snacks PHOTO CREDIT: Armen Terjimanian

The Gushers have been one of the hottest items. At 96 packets to a box, CU Snacks has gone through seven boxes since November, said Davis.

CU Snacks receives an average of 50 orders a night, with nightly totals ranging from $150 to $600. The goal is to reach 200 orders a night, Arbiter said.

As long CU Snacks continues this growth, Davis and Arbiter will be compensated pretty well at the end of the year, sharing 65 percent of the profits. The Columbia University Center for Career Education, which sponsors the Entrepreneurship Challenge, will take the other 35 percent each year to pay back the $18,000 no-interest loan that it gave CU Snacks as venture capital for inventory, a utilities upgrade for their campus office and computer equipment.

CU Snacks orders from many of the same vendors as Columbia University – such as Pepsi-Cola, Frito-Lay and Snapple – but also contracts with some lesser-known labels. Horizon flavored milks, Amy’s Kitchen frozen meals and Regenie’s pita chips have all been popular items, said Davis. “Nobody has heard of most of them, so they sell like crazy,” he said.

Party staples such Solo cups, playing cards and ping-pong balls go pretty fast, said Arbiter. And with miscellaneous items from No-Doze and Red Bull to condoms and lubricant jelly, it is obvious that CU Snack’s stock room caters to college students.

“One night, somebody ordered condoms 10 minutes before closing,” said Davis, recalling some of the more memorable orders. “We tried to get there as fast as could, but they called three times to see where we were.”

Business records fill this un-plugged fridge and add to the casual office decor. PHOTO CREDIT: Armen Terjimanian

Arbiter and Davis talk with ease and maturity about the responsibility and pressures of operating a business. They developed the accounting software, an account debit system for placing orders and performed marketing research for competitive pricing.

CU Snacks is an impressively sophisticated operation, but at the same time, it just can’t escape that college aura: all of the receipts are meticulously stored in an unplugged, mini Pepsi refrigerator-turned-filing cabinet.