Students boost Bloomington business

They're back, and businesses know it. \nAs freshman students moved in and others returned to the area last week, retailers, restaurants and hotels saw an opportunity for sales. \n"It's a lot of spending, really fast," said Valerie Pena, executive director for the Bloomington Convention and Visitor's Bureau, about move-in week. \nShe estimated the overall economic impact of the rush of students to be as much as $2.5 million, which includes hotels, restaurants and gas stations, but not retailers.\n"That, for us, midweek -- that's terrific," Pena said. \nTo cope with the influx of students -- and their parents -- some restaurants limited menu options to increase table turnover, while others added more staff and kitchen help, she said. \nGetting a hotel room was tough, though. \nWhile some hotels sold out the night of Monday, Aug. 21, every hotel in Bloomington, Martinsville, Bedford and Nashville, Ind., was full Tuesday night, Pena said. Bloomington hotels were full again Wednesday night. \nThat meant that some parents had to settle for properties they'd usually avoid.\n"They do come to a point where they'll take anything, especially the farther away they're coming," Pena said. \nIn addition, most hotels in the area sold out four months in advance, driving the average rate from $100 to $150, said Laura Newton, assistant director of the bureau. \nAt downtown's Malibu Grill, managing partner John Bailey said the volume of tables doubled Tuesday and Wednesday of Welcome Week, with much larger groups than usual. \nBut that came as no surprise to Bailey. \nBailey said his restaurant ensures a busy week by first attempting to reach students and parents during summer orientation. \n"You absolutely have to put your best foot forward all summer long," Bailey said. "This Freshman Parents Weekend is the culmination of a long season of friend-making." \nDuring Welcome Week, his restaurant doesn't limit menu items but increases his staff by about 25 percent. He also adds staffers in the bar and cocktail area so customers can easily get drinks while waiting. \n"I want everything as good and as fresh as you expect it to be throughout the year," he said. "(With) a lot of these parents, you get one shot at them, and the food has to be good, and the selection has to be good." \nBailey, who's been with the restaurant since it opened in 1994, said training, menu consistency and a loyal staff also help ensure quality word-of-mouth advertising from customers, which builds future sales.\nThat kind of promotion is what works at Kilroy's two bars, as well, said Ami Holthouse, manager of the Kilroy's Sports Bar at 319 N. Walnut. \nShe said last week her location had the busiest Wednesday it has had in a year. She attributes part of the increase to a new half-priced drink promotion initiated recently. \nTo stay successful, she said the restaurant follows last year's sales figures to maintain proper inventory and keeps the menu fresh by adding new vodkas, gins and high-end tequilas.\n"That stuff drives business," she said, adding that the bar has also renovated to build sales. "Newness is exciting to people." \nSome restaurants take a different tact.\nAt the Penn Station sub shop on Indiana Ave., manager Joe Radanovich sent trays of cookies to some dormitories, along with coupons, all to help advertise his restaurant's name to incoming freshmen. \nHe also spent 15 hours during the week on campus handing out coupons and giving students directions to the store. \n"I want to drive sales," he said. \nSo far, he said it's been working, with sale figures tripling since students came back this past week. \nTo keep up with the demand, he said, every employee worked as much as possible, and managers put in between 60 and 80 hours in the store. \nOn the retail front, Christy Steele, president and CEO of the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce, said businesses selling office supplies, electronics and furniture were particularly affected by the return of students.\nTo get ready, she said many increased their inventory of oft-forgotten student items and added temporary signs and flyers to draw students to stores. \nSome even put information in dormitories and residence halls to further market to students, she said. \n"Students have tremendous buying power," she said. "A lot of our businesses have been around a lot of years and are used to the seasonal change of students coming back.\n"They do plan accordingly"