Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, June 25, 1995 TAG: 9506260007
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: BETTY HAYDEN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
That means 15,000 fewer potential customers for Blacksburg's business owners, but most of them don't complain about the seasonal slowdown.
They say the townspeople start to venture out the week after Virginia Tech's graduation, when stores and sidewalks are no longer crowded with younger, and sometimes boisterous, customers. And they say conferences and tourism bring in business.
During the school year, Mill Mountain Coffee & Tea gets so jammed with students that it's hard to find an empty seat, but the co-owner of Virginia Tech's unofficial off-campus study hall says he doesn't really miss them.
"In some ways, it's better when they're gone," Scott Elich says. "Students clog up the tables and don't buy as much. It inhibits the older customer from coming in."
While his revenue during the summer does drop, he finds more local residents and Tech employees stop in for coffee. And those are the kind of customers he'd rather cater to, he says.
Down the street at Mike's Grill, it's business as usual for this time of year. That means a normal lunch rush and a noticeable drop-off at dinner time.
Since Mike Varelos opened the family-run restaurant 19 years ago, he's kept pretty much the same schedule, said Mark Golusky, a manager and Varelos' son-in-law.
Mike's keeps regular hours through Tech's first summer session, then loses from mid-July through August because without air conditioning customers can't stand the heat, Golusky said. The break also gives the family a chance to take a vacation.
The hiatus doesn't hurt business, Golusky said. "People are used to it. Customers still come back. The first couple of days after we reopen we get swamped."
It's not unusual for 500 to 600 people, mostly students, to pass through Arnold's doors on a busy weekend night. But during the summer, that number falls to 300, said Link Smith, manager of the downtown restaurant and bar.
Despite the smaller turnout, Arnold's maintains its regular hours and employs about the same number of people.
"Compared to last summer, we're down a little," Smith said. He cited the decreased summer enrollment at Tech - down by 1,237 first-session students from 1994 - as one factor.
To attract the students who are in town, Arnold's runs summer specials on things such as shrimp and steak shish kebabs and frozen drinks.
Across the street, fraternity brothers and sorority sisters can usually find an ample assortment of Greek merchandise at The Emporium. But during the summer the store shifts gears and carries more windsocks, chimes, flags and novelty T-shirts, said Marion Adam, the store's manager.
Tourists and people in town for conferences seem to like those items, she said, and more local residents stop by to browse.
"This time of year is kind of nice because all year it's so busy," Adam said. "The slower pace allows time for more conversation."
Tech students might leave Blacksburg behind for the summer, but most local high school students and their younger counterparts are stuck in town.
They pass some of their time playing computer games, riding bikes and listening to CDs - hobbies which benefit several Blacksburg businesses.
Fun-N-Games owner Angel McCoy says business is down by 30 percent to 40 percent, but more local people, especially the younger folks, take up the slack. McCoy also gets international mail-order customers who select games via home computer and the Internet from the store's page on the World Wide Web.
People who enjoy the outdoors take to their bikes during the summer, and at some point they'll probably need to take their machines in for repairs.
That's good news for the staff at Hokie Spokes, a light-hearted bunch who enjoy getting their hands dirty.
The staff took in 20 injured bikes in one day recently, said Keith Garguilo, a manager and mechanic at the store. The rush came after a dry spell.
"It goes in cycles," Garguilo said. "If we didn't know [Tech's] schedule, we could tell by our business. The weeks between sessions it's pretty dead."
Adnan Choudary, who also repairs bikes at the shop, pointed out that summer is much better than winter because the more people ride their bikes, the more the bikes need to be fixed.
"It's not really so terrible for us," says Dave Abraham, who owns that store and New Wheel in Radford.
He said his business is repair-oriented so summers are good, but not nearly as good as the fall. To supplement the repair and bike sales, Abraham also offers bike rentals.
The Record Exchange estimates that 85 percent to 90 percent of its customers are Tech students, so the summers take away a lot of business.
"Definitely the volume is a lot less," said Tim Rollins, manager of the Blacksburg store.
But local residents and high school students seem to come out more, he said, maybe because they know there'll be fewer college students around.
College students also supply most of the used CDs The Record Exchange buys, so the store is running a little low in that department.
Some stores have missed the student business more than others.
Brooklyn Bagel and Deli, located on Main Street across from Tech's Mall, relies mostly on walk-up business because of limited parking.
Without the students, the store has cut back its hours to cut expenses for the summer, said Linda Keciorious, who owns the deli and PK's, a restaurant and bar located next door to the deli.
Business at PK's has been steadier thanks to a loyal local crowd, Keciorious said.
About 100 customers turned out last weekend for a raw oyster bar, live music and food and drink specials, she said.
Still, she'll be happy when the students return.
"We definitely see a drop," she said. "We don't get the big pushes on Thursday and Friday."
by CNB