Staring at a cold cement floor and bare walls, Glen Santa could only envision what would become the fusion of plush leather furniture, the aroma of brewing coffee and the keyboard clicks of students lost in a digital world.

And after a year of planning the business of his dreams, CyberCuse, the brainchild of the 35-year-old former technical support and retail management worker has finally come to fruition.

‘I wanted to do something different on the hill,’ Santa said. ‘A lot of students have said there’s nothing to do here but drink, so this is a place where they can come and hang out and lounge or go to the other half of the room and play games.’

Tucked away behind CVS at 700 South Crouse Avenue, CyberCuse is a fully furnished place of leisure. The store is equipped with 25 custom-built high-speed gaming computers with DVD capability and built-in headphones so as not to disturb the other patrons. The rate is $7 an hour, but for a $20 yearly membership customers get a reduced rate of $5.50 per hour and free wireless internet use for life.

The building is divided into two sections. One half is for the average Internet user who might want to get a gourmet coffee or energy drink from the caf while surfing the Web, while the other is a dimly lit area solely for online gaming, which has a full selection of the most popular games. CyberCuse tries to have something for everyone, Santa said.

Before opening what he thinks is the only Internet caf and gaming center in Syracuse, Santa did a lot of research. He observed other Internet cafs in different towns around New York to see what worked efficiently. He found that excellent customer service was particularly effective. People, especially gamers, will want to come back if they like the people who run the place and feel comfortable, Santa said.

‘It’s a very new idea, so people sometimes, with new things, are a little hesitant,’ Santa said. ‘But I think it’s going to go well when people know I’m here.’

Not everyone is as optimistic as Santa. Many students feel the location is too far away from campus to make it a routine spot to hang out with friends. Also, it seems the activities there can be done in a dorm for less money, said Dave Evans, an undecided freshman in The College of Arts and Science.

‘There are computers on campus that kids can go on for free, and that’s why I guess he’s trying to put it towards the gaming crowd,’ said Scott Purdy, a junior information studies major. ‘If there are a lot of gamers who want to hang out and pay an hourly fee then it might work.’

While CyberCuse is being marketed towards everyone, Santa knows many students have their own personal computers, so the real push is directed at people who enjoy playing online games against each other in a friendly setting. The age range of the average gamer starts as young as 14 and continues on into the 40s, so there is a very wide market, Santa said.

‘People don’t realize it, but the gaming industry has overtaken the movie industry as far as total revenue,’ Santa said. ‘Video games are now making more money than movies, and that really is an astounding thing.’

The store is stocked with all the popular games of the moment, like ‘Call of Duty,’ ‘Joint Operations’ and ‘World of Warcraft.’ Santa says he is going to try keep updating his selection as new software comes out.

Santa is also trying hard to push the caf portion of his store, but again the location seems to be hurting him. The Dunkin’ Donuts located on the same street offers free wireless internet, and the nearby Starbucks is already a popular hangout spot. Cybercuse should be somewhere all-encompassing like Schine Student Center is, because not only does Schine offer food students can swipe on their cards, they also don’t have to go all the way down the hill just to use the Internet, said Kevin Maley, a junior political science major.

‘Maybe gamers will feel like walking back uphill afterwards, but I think it’s a huge inconvenience,’ Maley said. ‘Beyond maybe them, no one’s going to go, I guarantee it.’

Santa is not deterred by any of these negative aspects. People will start filling in just to hang around once word spreads about how accommodating and technology advanced his new caf really is, he said.

‘We’re a very friendly place, we’re going to get to know our members’ names and our customers,’ Santa said. ‘Just because you’re not a gamer doesn’t mean you can’t have fun here.’

Published on February 15, 2005 at 12:00 pm