University of South Carolina’s new Carolina Cash uses off-campus benefit local businesses and  students.

Salsarita’s Fresh Cantina was the first business to launch the new Carolina Cash program that allows students to use their Carolina Card at select places off-campus.

USC’s Student Government had been talking about this plan for years before putting it into action this summer.

Salsarita’s was one of the 9 businesses that put a bid in this summer to be apart of the Carolina Cash program.

Salsarita’s marketing manager, Cynthia Bodner, said the part that took the longest was the paper work but Salsarita’s owners knew they wanted to be a part of this great thing.

Bodner says they have seen more students come in since they started the program.

“We have seen a huge increase in sales. Students come in all the time,” says Bodner.

Student Government held a ribbon cutting ceremony at Salsarita’s on October 25, 2013, to mark the start of the new program.

“I think we have an advantage of being the first to do this,” Bodner says, “I think we will come to people’s minds first because of it.”

And Bodner was not wrong.

Students have recognized Salsarita’s as the jump start to this program.

Sophomore hospitality major, Grace Stevenson, says she loves Salsarita’s and will most likely go there more since she can now use her Carolina Cash.

Stevenson said the best part of the new program is its convenience saying, “You don’t have to carry your debit card or different cards with you.”

Here is the complete list of businesses that accept Carolina Cash:

– Salsarita’s (916 Gervais Street)

– Domino’s Pizza-Carry out only (Devine Street)

-Papa Johns-Carry out only (Assembly Street)

– CVS (Assembly Street)

– Bi-Lo (300 Knox Abbott Drive)

– Palmetto PIg (530 Devine Street)

– Marble Slab Creamery (1001 Gervais Street)

– Harper’s (700 Harden Street)

– Tripp’s Fine Cleaners (830 Harden St.)