Oh, app sampler, you will be missed.

Downtown State College’s Sheetz location on South Pugh Street announced its plan to permanently close in late July after nearly eight years of slinging mac and cheese bites, breakfast sandwiches, hoagies, and more.

With prime real estate soon to hit the market on Pugh Street, our staffers made some suggestions for what should take its place.

Joe Lister: Dave & Buster’s

Hear me out.

I have no interest in going to a Dave & Buster’s. A trip to a Dave & Buster’s is cool for about two hours, and then your shoulder is sore from playing the same basketball game 10 times in a row.

However, apparently, high school football recruits love Dave & Buster’s. So much so that when Florida took a group of recruits to a Dave & Buster’s, the program got seven prospects to commit within days, including a linebacker previously expected to end up at Penn State.

Recruits are at Dave and Busters for OV weekend pic.twitter.com/Emcc7iNZF7

— Florida Recruiting (@FLRecruits) June 3, 2023

I do not seek Dave and Buster’s for my own glory. I seek it “for the glory of Dear Old State.” A small, Sheetz-sized Dave & Buster’s is all that’s standing between Penn State and a national title.

Mikey DeAngelis: Chick-Fil-A

State College already has a Chick-Fil-A, but it’s certainly not convenient to campus and is very difficult to get to for those who don’t have a car. I think a Chick-Fil-A location downtown would be a hit among students and townies alike. 

I’d certainly like to be within walking distance from access to a spicy chicken sandwich. If this particular location decided that it would stay open late on weekends, I bet it would be even more popular. It’ll just have to make sure it’s closed by 11:59 on Saturdays so that it’s still closed on Sundays.

Nina Jeffries: Spirit Halloween

Sheetz is closing at the end of July so it would be spooktacular for Spirit Halloween to swoop into town just in time for the fall semester to help folks find that perfect Halloween costume.

Rico Gore: Carlo’s Bakery

With Brad Kraut graduating, the State College area needs a new celebrity to fill his shoes. Well, Buddy Valastro isn’t anything new but would be new to our community.

Beyond replacing the missing stardom in State College, I firmly believe that the area is lacking a good old-fashioned bakery. This is not to throw shade at any local bakeries. They are all great. However, I think that a full-service, every sweet treat under the sun, bakery is what State College really needs. Most importantly, I don’t think anything can fulfill midday treat cravings like a Carlo’s Bakery cannoli!

Keeley Lamm: Wawa

Do the right thing, Wawa. We’ll see you soon.