Returning students melt 3 weeks of frosty business

IU appreciates the student's brain; Bloomington appreciates the student's wallet. \nThe IU campus community encourages several million dollars' worth of currency exchange between institution patrons and city businesses. Bloomington business owners, as a result, often struggle to keep their shops ship-shape and financially afloat during national holidays and breaks from the rigors of academic study because of the massive migration home of campus-affliated town guests -- the tens of thousands of IU students. \nAccording to the 2000 census, Bloomington boasts a population of more than 69,000 residents when IU closes its doors for national holidays and university breaks. The total community population swells as IU contributes more than 40,000 students, employees, faculty and administration to an otherwise small-town atmosphere.\nKyle Hawkins, owner of Greek's Pizzaria on Kirkwood Avenue, said he has operated his business with a skeleton crew throughout break. He said the work often demands help from more than one pair of hands, although he said he is capable of running his pizza shop entirely on his own, \n"I was expecting the decrease of business; it was a lot better than last year," Hawkins said. "More of the local people have been turned on to our pizza, so they really came through and helped during that time. I had some nights that were amazing because no other businesses were open."\nBloomington business owners, especially those dependent upon student transactions, are forced to adopt school break schemes to ensure financial sustainability throughout the year despite the revenue collected when school is in session. The potential loss of patrons and their pocket change is on the mind of most business owners on Kirkwood Avenue in downtown Bloomington. Successful businesses often generate the funds from a specific demographic on an attractive plot of land within a community of excess disposable income -- all of which dissipate into the town's freezing air when the university is out of session for winter break. \nSome community members perceive downtown Bloomington, specifically Kirkwood Avenue, as a ghost town when the campus packs up and shuts down for breaks. Vacant midday parking spots, minimal weekend wait times at restaurants and limited congestion at major thoroughfares and intersections support this perception.\nJennifer Falk, a sophomore and employee at the Discount Den on Kirkwood Avenue, said staffing at the Den has depended upon who stayed around town to bear the chilling weather of winter break.\n"There was basically no one here for about two or three weeks," Falk said. "Our customers were people who were still working for IU and people who live in town. High school students have been coming in a lot. Today it looks like business has picked up, and yesterday. It's very boring when students are gone." \nAndy Walter, manager of Tracks record shop on Kirkwood Avenue, said his business revenue decreases about 15 to 20 percent when students have vacated Bloomington for institution breaks. Walter said he did not adjust Tracks' staffing, store hours or music inventory during the winter break.\n"There is plenty of work to be done around here; we don't compensate at all for the students' leaving," Walter said. "It is part of the ebb and flow of (running a business in downtown Bloomington), and students are a part of our business. You have to be financially prepared for the ebb and flow -- you don't buy as heavily when students aren't here. Other than that, you always have to have a product people want and offer them good prices for that product." \nUnfortunately, good business sense is often difficult to trust for small business owners when about one of three community members leaves town several times a year for extended periods of time with their credit cards, checkbooks, traveler's checks and penny banks in tow.\nSally Ward, manager of Amused Clothing on S. Dunn Street, said her business has experienced a decrease in sales from about an average of $1,800 a day before winter break to about $300 a day since. She said she has no other choice but to cut labor to compensate for Amused Clothing's lack of student business.\n"Townies (or locals) are the best part of running a local business," Ward said. "(However), the majority of our business relies on student consumerism. We are highly grateful to the students of IU."\nHawkins said he recommends Bloomington business owners remain open during school breaks and throughout the summer. He said the customer loyalty of city locals often outweighs the vacation many business owners take during these times with revenue saved from the school year.\n"To help get through the difficult times of school breaks, businesses on Kirkwood need to stay open," Hawkins said. "There are people here who live here who still want to come to town. I think things will be more in full swing when people get settled in. I've started seeing more students coming back -- groups of fraternities and sororities having a good time, taking pictures. I think Bloomington should stay busy and fun all the time, not just when the students are around."\n-- Contact City & State Editor David A. Nosko at dnosko@indiana.edu.