SU students call for a Marshall Street rebrand

Conveniently located right next to SU’s main campus, Marshall Street gets a large amount of foot traffic from students looking for their next game day fit or a quick bite to eat. 

Despite the attention the area receives, most SU students still do not feel fulfilled by Marshall Street’s options. Senior Hannah Brandt said that Marshall Street feels like it is constantly changing with restaurants and stores coming and going each year.

“It’s good Marshall Street is making upgrades with new businesses coming in, but at the same time, it’s inconvenient because there’s always construction going on, and places just don’t seem to stay for too long,” said Brandt, who has seen Marshall Street change over the past four years.

At Orange Pulse, we surveyed 60 SU students on their overall thoughts about Marshall Street and what it has to offer. A little over half of the respondents were seniors and 37.9% were juniors, sophomores, and first-years. The rest of the respondents were fifth-year and graduate students.

Lack of retail shopping

The majority of SU students feel that there is a lack of retail and clothing stores on Marshall Street. On a one to five scale, 52.5% of respondents ranked their satisfaction with the street’s retail options as a one. 

Close to 34% of respondents replied that they were slightly unsatisfied, and around 7% felt neutral about the area’s retail. Only four respondents indicated that they were satisfied with the shopping choices on Marshall Street.

Two of Marshall Street’s primary retail stores, Shirt World and J. Michaels Shoes, were bought out this past school year and have since closed. The stores are currently undergoing an ownership change, with the incoming businesses also being retail-oriented.

Shirt World sold everything Syracuse-related, from SU-branded t-shirts and sweatshirts to orange bumper stickers and keychains. J. Michaels Shoes was stocked with shoes, jackets, and more from trending brands such as Steve Madden and Canada Goose. Both stores remained on Marshall Street for over four decades before closing.

Food attracts most to Marshall Street

Out of all the survey respondents, 76.3% said their main reason for going to Marshall Street was for food. About 15% indicated that the bars drew them to the area, while less than 5% cited other reasons, such as shopping and exploring.

Most of Marshall Street consists of food spots, ranging from quick-stop delis and behind-the-counter grills to sit-down sushi and poke restaurants. When asked to pick a favorite, Bleu Monkey and Collegetown Bagels tied for first with 23.7% of respondents selecting the two places respectively. 

Bleu Monkey has been a staple on Marshall Street for 17 years after the sushi cafe moved to acquire extra space to accommodate more customers. Collegetown Bagels, a bagel shop founded in Ithaca, opened its doors on Marshall Street in September 2024.   

The rest of the results were spread out with Chipotle, Poke Fish, and Mediterranean Combo coming in a close second for favorite spot. Insomnia Cookies and Popeyes accounted for a combined 10.2% of respondents' favorite places.

Students are mixed about the food options

Despite food being Marshall Street’s main selling point, students are divided on their satisfaction with the available options. Just over 40% said they feel neutral or indifferent when asked to rate their general satisfaction with Marshall Street’s food options. 

However, more respondents fell on the unsatisfied side of the scale than the satisfied side. On a scale of one to five, with five being satisfied and one being unsatisfied, 24 students rated their satisfaction with the food as a two or below. Nine respondents selected four, and only one respondent rated their satisfaction as a five.

Respondents did not hesitate to share their ideas on how to improve Marshall Street. And the number one demand? Other food options. 

Aspirations for the street included late-night food spots, diners and different fast food chains such as Taco Bell and McDonald’s. Grocery markets, salad bowl cafes, coffee shops and overall healthier food options were also suggested in the survey. 

So, although Marshall Street remains a popular spot that attracts crowds from across campus, many students are still not fully satisfied with its current offerings. With new businesses coming in soon, will student satisfaction with Marshall Street shift? Or will students continue to want more out of SU’s historic street?.