BoRics Family Haircare Center has closed after 15 years in the Village. With banners faded from age, the building itself was unobtrusive, making it easy for people to walk by without noticing it. But after more than a decade, it established itself as a Village monument, considering houseflies have outlived some Village businesses.
In the past five years, we've seen businesses come and go. Some were staples. Some went virtually unnoticed. We've waved good-bye to Discount Den, El Camino, La Bamba, TJ's Great Burgers, A Place to Tan, Little Havana Tobacco Cabana and Buffalo Wild Wings, among a plethora of other failed enterprises. And don't forget about the cyclical evolution of The Bird to The Warehouse to The Collegian back to The Bird.
The Village will always have its undying landmarks, such as Scotty's Brewhouse and MT Cup, but walking along University Avenue has gradually become more like a stroll through a mortuary of dead businesses.
Ambitions to open a successful business in the Village seem like a vanishing hope, but the following are businesses we think might have a chance:
- Old-fashioned ice cream parlor - Is it hard to argue against two scoops of a dairy delicacy. Unless you're lactose intolerant or are just strongly opposed to a sugar cone full of rocky road, ice cream within walking distance would be a magnet for anyone feeling a sweet, cool craving who's tired of the franchises.
- Hookah bar - Instead of tolerating secondhand smoke from menthol lights, why not open a place that will at least offer the sweet aroma of shisha. A hookah bar would bring not only a new experience to Muncie, but a sampling of culture many students are unfamiliar with.
- EZ Cash - OK, let's face it. Few of us are good with our money. Although it would probably put many of us deeper in debt, it's hard to argue students wouldn't take advantage of a business that would give them some green to make it to their next paycheck. It may not be a healthy choice to keep borrowing money, but how healthy are all those bars?
- Heorot, Village style - Beowulf's Heorot sat regal in a village. Why shouldn't Muncie's? The repetitive taste of domestic penny pitchers could be counteracted by a menu with finer selections than Coors and Bud Light. The barbarian-themed watering hole has one potentially fatal flaw with its downtown location - it's driving distance from where most of us live. Too many of us know someone who has tried to make the dangerous drive while inebriated. Put the Heorot in the Village, and you can all stumble home contentedly.
- Thai Smile 3 or Domo to Go - Considering the most ethnic restaurants we have in the Village are China Express and Pita Pit, it's about time we bring in something to serve food other than burgers or subs. Thai Smile and Domo Steak House have both been popular dinner selections for Ball State students. Put them where we have easier access, and watch the money roll in.
- Taco Bell, White Castle or your preferred drunk food vendor - Even if you don't need to be intoxicated to ingest greasy, late-night fast food, these businesses would make a killing in the Village. Although, it would be hard to compete with Carter, we could all feel a little safer knowing that fewer people will need to drunkenly negotiate their ways through the Taco Bell drive-throughs.
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