The Roadrunner Advantage program is revamped this year, offering more discounts at local restaurants and service spots for Ramapo students. The student discount program, which is sponsored by the Student Government Association, gives Ramapo students access to benefits and discounts at participating businesses just for showing their school IDs.
The program has been in place for several years, but has not been advertised on a large scale until now.
“I had no idea this program even existed,” said Jimmy Mitchell, a junior.
Storefronts now have a signature flyer indicating that they offer a discount. Stephanie Boehm, coordinator of the redesigned program and SGA treasurer, spent the summer visiting local businesses to add more benefits for students and to hang flyers at the participating locations. Boehm said that in the past, some locations displayed a very small window decal, resulting in students overlooking the decals and not realizing where they can get discounts.
“I am a junior now. I found out about [Roadrunner Advantage] last year,” Boehm said. “That’s a problem if all of these discounts are being offered and I could be saving money.”
Senior Karen Fulton was also unaware that the Roadrunner program existed. She said she has never used her ID off campus.
“I’ve only used it to get into sports at school for free, for example, the men’s soccer game over the weekend,” Fulton said.
When Boehm realized all of the local discounts she was missing out on and the potential of the program, she took on revamping Roadrunner Advantage as her personal project. Boehm said she thought that if she was not aware of the program, then there were probably many other students who have been in participating locations and didn’t know they could show their IDs for discounts.
“It is such a good idea,” Boehm said. “If businesses are willing to offer us discounts, why wouldn’t we take it?”
Boehm hopes that the new flyers and about 2,000 Roadrunner Advantage brochures, created by SGA secretary of public relations Mikey Dunn, will get the word out to students. The objective of the bright and colorful designs used on these materials is to catch students’ attention and help them realize what is being offered.
One way SGA plans to advertise the program is with the Chatty Caddy, a golf cart SGA members drive around campus to offer rides to fellow students. Boehm plans to use Chatty Caddy as a way to hand out the pamphlets, which list the businesses participating in the program and include their locations, phone numbers and discounts that they offer.
“I would love for everyone to have one of these brochures,” Boehm said.
There are almost 60 locations on the list, including 25 brand new restaurants and service spots that have never participated in the Roadrunner Advantage program before. Beohm hopes that this list will continue to grow. Due to the cost and time it takes to print revised pamphlets, new additions will be updated online, where students can find all of this information.
Some of Boehm’s favorite new participants include Boom Burger, which is opening soon on Rt. 17 South and Planet Swirl, a frozen yogurt shop in Ramsey. Most of the participants offer students a 10 to 15 percent off of their purchases.
Another new location, Badlands Tacos in Ramsey, is offering a new “Bless the Driver Deal.” If a student drives at least three friends to the restaurant, the driver will get a free equal or lesser value meal. This deal is also offered at The Shannon Rose on Rt. 17 North.
Boehm has found that local businesses are very receptive to the program. Only two companies that she approached rejected the idea, but four companies Boehm was unfamiliar with reached out to her, asking to participate.
“A lot of the business owners were very receptive because not only is it good for Ramapo students, it gets their name out on campus,” Boehm said.
The only roadblock Boehm has encountered is that chain stores need to get approval from their corporate headquarters in order to offer a discount to students. The two places she said she would like to get a discount at are the local ShopRite and A&P. She remains hopeful that these supermarkets will be able to offer a discount to Ramapo students in the near future. The Shannon Rose, which is a chain pub and restaurant, successfully received corporate approval to offer Ramapo students discounts.
Boehm will continue to recruit new companies to be a part of the Roadrunner Advantage program.
“My goal is that no Ramapo student would have to pay full price anywhere,” Boehm said.
To suggest a new business to add to the program, email sboehm@ramapo.edu
gmondo@ramapo.edu
