Liquor stores crowd campus, offering thirsty Illini endless options for their nightly escapades. Yet, amid what can feel like a bewildering swamp of possibilities, one store stands tall above the rest — grand and steadfast, like Alma Mater herself, arms open, beckoning students, “Enter. Come find whatever you are looking for.”
That noble establishment? Illini Pantry, of course.
Grand metaphor aside, Illini Pantry’s reputation is grounded in its accessibility and variety. Colloquially known simply as “Pantry,” the shop sits on South Sixth Street and stays open daily from 10 a.m. to midnight.
The building is hard to miss, painted bright orange with blue arches and trim, a nod to the University’s colors. Each square foot of the store is put to use, and walking through can sometimes feel like traversing an obstacle course, stepping over cases of Twisted Tea or squeezing between shelves of soju. Still, the staff is always happy to help anyone feeling overwhelmed.
Pantry is exactly what it needs to be: a no-frills stop for college students — and doing that reliably is what makes it a student staple.
