Hungry racquetball players and thirsty weight-lifters, your
solution is under construction.
The Energy Zone convenience store will be the latest addition to
the John Wooden Center next fall. The store will sell food, drinks
and athletic clothing and accessories to patrons of the on-campus
recreation facility.
The shop will be located across from the treadmills where the
outdoor weight patio existed prior to the center’s
renovation, said Keith Schoen, director of retail operations for
the Associated Students of UCLA.
Schoen said the store will “have a very healthy theme
throughout,” selling items like sports drinks and energy
bars.
The store will also sell fresh food, including sandwiches,
salads and hard-boiled eggs provided by ASUCLA.
“We’re kind of partnering with our own
division,” Schoen said. “It’s a win-win
situation.”
The store is a cooperative effort between UCLA Recreation, which
manages the Wooden Center, and ASUCLA, which manages the stores in
Ackerman Union and elsewhere on campus.
It is also a component of the Wooden West addition, an $11
million project which includes an expansion of the old weight room,
space for an Outdoor Adventures Resource center, and the addition
of new workout equipment. Construction on the expansion and the
store is scheduled to be completed by fall 2004.
“I think it’ll be a hit right from the
get-go,” said Mick Deluca, director of Cultural and
Recreational Affairs, which manages the Wooden Center.
“It’ll be a great usage of the square footage at a
highly visible location,” Deluca said.
Schoen said the hours for the new store were being designed to
coincide with the hours of the Wooden Center, which operates from 6
a.m. to 11:45 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
Besides the Hilltop shop near the dormitories, no other ASUCLA
store on campus operates after 7 p.m.
In addition to nutritional items, Energy Zone will sell branded
athletic clothing from UCLA’s Bearwear division and other
items catering to the fitness crowd, like racquetballs or pairs of
socks, Deluca said.
A patio space will be part of the plan, with tables and chairs
outside the shop to allow athletes to sit down, refuel and
socialize while they enjoy their Gatorade and Power Bars.
Schoen said ASUCLA will be crafting its product line carefully
so it won’t be a “cannibalization of our market”
and steal sales from the main UCLA Store, located just a few
hundred feet away.
Ricardo Hernandez, a first-year undeclared student, said he
thinks a lot of people will use the store, but that the pricing of
the items is a key factor in the store’s success.
Hernandez suggested that allowing students living on campus to
use meal plan swipes for items at the store would be an attractive
option for cash-strapped students.
Other students were surprised to hear about the store, but liked
the concept.
“I think it’s a good idea,” said Stan Ethenoz,
a fifth-year biochemistry student. “Depending on the prices,
I think students would probably use it.”
Ethenoz said he thought the store would be especially useful
late at night when other stores are closed, as currently a
late-night exerciser’s only option for nourishment is a
vending machine.
While Schoen said he didn’t know how much the Energy Zone
will cost to build, as it is part of the larger expansion project,
ASUCLA will spend $15,000 to $20,000 on interior structures such as
display racks and coolers.
Deluca said the specialized needs for the location of the store,
including additional electrical requirements, will also cost an
additional $25,000.