You're holed up in your dorm room in the Middle of Nowhere U. and your stomach starts growling. You:

A: Go through your roommate's stuff to find a stray candy bar.
B: Get crankier with each hunger pang.
C: Start a business.

If you consider "c" an unusual choice, you're not thinking outside the proverbial box. Chances are you're not the only starving student. If only there were a service that delivered low-cost snacks to your dorm. You wouldn't have to break from the books or put yourself at late-night risk wandering alone in search of sugary or salty salvation. Recognizing this need is how lucrative businesses like CU Snacks, Columbia University's all-student snack delivery service, are born.

Read on about some students who chose not to be cranky, and created booming campus-based businesses instead.

Curbing Cravings
Biz: CU Snacks at Columbia University

Hit by a 2 a.m. craving? CU Snacks is open for business every night until 3 a.m. and they'll deliver directly to your dorm room. "Our all-student delivery staff has exclusive swipe access at dormitory security desks, so our customers don't have to trek down to the lobbies to pick up their orders," says Brandon Arbiter (pictured below), a junior engineering management systems major at Columbia University (New York, NY) and the cofounder of CU Snacks. "We deliver everything from chips and dip, to yogurt and cottage cheese, to frozen meals and black and white cookies," Brandon says. He emphasizes their large selection of snacks under $5. All orders and financial transactions take place through their Web site (www.cusnacks.com).

Monica N. Betancourt, a junior comparative literature major at Columbia, purchases a small snack or soda from CU Snacks one or two times per week. "I find it very useful because I can order on the Web, their selection is clear and varied, and they deliver right to my door. Plus, it only takes about 10 minutes for delivery," she says. CU Snacks currently employs more than 20 Columbia students. "With classes from 9 a.m. until 8 p.m., many students are looking for nighttime opportunities to earn some extra bucks," Brandon says.

Reaching the Night-Owl Niche
Biz: Campus Snacks at George Washington University

As a college student, what do you do when you're up late studying and you realize you forgot to eat? Kristen Canavan, a senior speech and hearing science major at George Washington University (GWU, Washington, D.C.), solves this problem by ordering from Campus Snacks at least once each week.

"We deliver food, drinks, pharmacy items, snacks, DVDs, and pretty much anything someone would want late at night," says Matthew Mandell (pictured above, middle), a 2004 psychology graduate of GWU and the founder of Campus Snacks (www.campussnacks.com).

The campus business is open Monday through Wednesday until 1 a.m., Thursday through Saturday until 4 a.m., and Sunday until 2 a.m. They take dining plans as well as cash and all major credit cards. "This year we have initiated an order tracking feature to allow students to track their order from placement to delivery," says Edward Cody (pictured above, right), a 2004 systems engineering graduate of GWU who developed the technology and business plan for the company.

"The convenience of ordering snacks and various items from the comfort of your own room and then having them delivered to your door, or outside the building if you live in a dorm on campus, is great for a busy college student," Kristen says. "Besides that, the prices are extremely reasonable and they have a great selection with no minimum order or delivery fee. The best part is they take gworld (our meal points), which just adds to the convenience of it all."

Shopping Mom Would Be Proud Of
Biz: DormSnacks at Brown University

The experience of grocery shopping as a college student can be a difficult one, especially if you don't have a car. You have to make the time to go to the store, find your desired products within your price range, and lug your purchases back up to your room. "Not only was the student shopping experience a grueling one, but I found that there was a relatively meager selection offered by the few stores on campus -- all of which significantly overpriced their products," says Kevin Dickson (pictured above, left), a sophomore business economics and public and private sector organizations major at Brown University (Providence, RI) and the founder of DormSnacks (www.dormsnacks.com).

Despite its name, this student-run business offers more than just fast food. "The site offers over 500 products, including almost anything a student could ever need," Dickson says. Every Sunday, DormSnacks delivers purchases to students all over campus as well as upperclassmen living off-campus. "We constantly seek out the best deals for our customers and can often use our size to attain more attractive deals than any one student could on his or her own."

Joshua Saal, a freshman at Brown, appreciates the convenience and free delivery of DormSnacks. "The service is useful for buying items in bulk as well as items that are overpriced in other local stores, such as orange juice," he says.

A Pack-Up Plan
Biz: Collegeboxes at Washington University in St. Louis

Ever live on the fourth floor of a college dorm with no elevator? If so, you are well-aware of the challenge of moving everything you own in and out of your room by hand. But don't stress -- Collegeboxes (www.collegeboxes.com) is here to help. This student business provides summer shipping and storage, helps ship your stuff to school, and provides appliance rentals and study abroad shipping and storage. "Every service includes door-to-door pickup, delivery, online account management, GPS truck tracking, and real-time text messaging," says Joshua Kowitt (pictured above), vice president and director of business development as well as a 2004 graduate of Washington University in St. Louis (MO) who majored in political science and business management.

Sarah Grossman, a sophomore finance major at Villanova University (Villanova, PA), needed a place to store her stuff over the summer that would be virtually hassle-free because she goes to school on the opposite side of the country from her home. "It was nice to have the boxes that needed to be stored over the summer picked up directly from my dorm room and delivered to my room the next semester," she says.

Beanbag Sleepovers
Biz: Cordaroys at the University of Florida

While this business doesn't take place on campus, the target market is certainly college students. University of Florida (Gainesville, FL) grad Byron Young loved when his buds came to visit him in his dorm. But when it came to them sleeping over, his twin bed didn't cut it. Knowing that college students need comfortable, versatile, and inexpensive furniture, he came up with the idea of a beanbag chair with a bed inside. From humble beginnings in his garage, Byron's beanbag business, Cordaroys (www.cordaroys.com), is now booming.

Byron majored in building construction with a business minor and interned in structural engineering. He realized he could go out and find a great job but he couldn't imagine spending eight hours a day working on someone else's dream. "I quickly ruled out being a fireman, astronaut, and/or ballerina, and set my sights on being an inventor because I'm good at it and enjoy it," he says.

Byron purchased two sewing machines, and his garage became a makeshift sewing room. He started making the bags himself and sold them in bars and shops around Gainesville.

"I could only make about five in one day," he admits. Since then, Byron has grown his business into a major success by selling the beanbag chairs at mall locations throughout the country, as well as online.

-- Additional reporting by Carole J. Brandi

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