The power of cheese has been harnessed by a group of students in
Reinert Hall, and its influence is spreading. Three sophomores,
Neal Naik, Shawn Moulton and Matt Bruchas, have started a business
selling grilled cheese sandwiches out of their dorm room. They call
their establishment “Mr. Nice Guy,” and for $1-$2 per sandwich,
they are delivering food to the residents of Reinert.

“It’s not really safe to walk to Jimmy Johns or Del Taco, or
even the BSC, which doesn’t have anything late-night (food)
anyway,” said Naik.

The trio began their business last weekend, opening with a
two-for-one special after 10 p.m. Mass. As of Tuesday night, they
had sold more than 90 sandwiches. They take orders over the phone
and on AOL Instant Messenger and deliver anywhere in Reinert. Their
enterprising spirit was not spontaneous, however. “We had this idea
last year and worked on it over the summer,” Naik said.

They cook the sandwiches on George Foreman grills, which is
legal in the dorms, said Bruchas, a biomedical engineering major.
Two regular grills, one family sized grill and “one for back-up”
make up their impromptu kitchen, said Naik. Resident Advisors have
been among their customers, and Moulton said that some of the RAs
have approved of it on the grounds of it keeping students from
driving drunk to get late-night snacks. “One girl turned down a
ride to Steak ‘n Shake and got one of our sandwiches.”

Some students disagree with The Nice Guys’ assertions about the
area’s safety and the availability of food on campus. On one of
their flyers, the Nice Guys warn against going off campus to get
food because students might get attacked. Mike Otepka, a junior,
argues that there are still safe options for late-night dining.
“There’s more than one benefit for going off campus, because the
nutritional value of grilled cheese sandwiches is slim to none, and
you could ride your bike to Jimmy John’s and get a fresh sandwich,”
Otepka said. “Jimmy John’s delivers, too,” he added.

“It’s still a good idea though, out of all the things to sell,
grilled cheese is a hit. It’s just funny because that’s the easiest
to thing to make, and people would still buy it,” Otepka said.

Though their business is mostly in Reinert now, The Nice Guys
said that they do carryout as well. They always have someone
manning the grill, and if no one’s available to cook, they leave an
explanation on their away message on Instant Messenger. Although
the guys say that the experience has not made them want to switch
to the business school, it has given them an appreciation for
starting a business. “There are a lot of possibilities,” Naik
said.

“You get a new idea, and it just takes off.”