Rhett’s at the GSU is one of the most popular spots on campus for anyone looking for a quick bite. But those who’ve passed through the checkout line there often have another reason for coming back: the warm smiles and cheerful friendliness of two of Rhett’s cashiers.

Maria Echavarria and Wendy Martinez make the place feel like a home away from home for students. The two are famous for the care they shower on their customers. They greet everyone with a smile, remember what they like to order, and have a sympathetic ear and an unerring sense of when a student needs a little reassurance.

“Sometimes students come in and they’re sad, and I say, ‘You can’t be sad. You only have one life. You have to be positive! Eat some breakfast, relax, then you can go do homework and go to the library,’” Echavarria says. “Solve one problem at a time,” she often advises.

“Many students are away from home for the first time, and the welcome these ladies give alleviates the homesickness they feel,” says Deb Dewar, GSU senior food service director.

Martinez began working for Dining Services in 2008. When Echavarria arrived a year later, they hit it off immediately. Both from the Dominican Republic, the two share an easy rapport, often teasing each other and laughing at something the other says. “Working with Maria is like working with my sister,” Martinez says. Echavarria says that Martinez taught her everything when she started her job. “She’s my teacher,” she says, pointing to her friend as both women laugh.

Arriving each morning at 5:45, Echavarria makes sure everything is spotless and that supplies are restocked before Rhett’s 7 am opening. Martinez arrives by 8:30. They agree on the best part of their job: getting to know the students. Many of them come back to visit after graduation or surprise them with gifts and cards around the holidays.

“It’s not work,” says Martinez. “It’s a family.”

Bill Politis can be reached at bpolitis@bu.edu.