Homecoming Weekend will be in full tow in Athens this weekend and local businesses are gearing up for the droves of alumni and visitors coming in to celebrate.
Despite a lack of exact crowd estimates, owners of Uptown restaurants and bars aren’t taking any chances when it comes to staffing this weekend.
“It will be all hands on deck,” said Jessica Kopelwitz, co-owner of Fluff Bakery, 8 N. Court St. “It’s about knowing it’s going to be almost busier than you can handle. Fluff is just having its first birthday so it’s not a big alumni place yet.”
The highlight of the weekend, the Homecoming Parade, will most likely bring the bulk of the business, Kopelwitz added.
“We’re scheduling more people to work,” said Jay Shapiro, the co-owner of Union Street Diner. “We have to be prepared for all the business that will come in.”
In addition to padding schedules and adding workers, Court Street favorites like Bagel Street Deli are stressing a build up of stock items.
“We have to cut a ton of meat for the weekend,” said Lori Linnivers, the manager of the deli. “It’s going to take the whole week to get enough ready.”
Linnivers added she expects a heavy crowd with a “line to the door from open until close.”
In turn, the potentially heavy crowds and lines mean a shorter, easily manageable menu for some eateries.
“We will be having a shorter, special menu for the weekend,” said Trey Reindl, a manager at Broney’s Alumni Grill, 7 W. Carpenter St.
The Hampton Inn on East State Street filled all of its rooms for the weekend within 36 hours of the announcement of Homecoming back in mid-July, said Glena Smith, assistant manager for the inn. Unlike the rough estimate preparations made by bars and restaurants near campus, Smith said this quick saturation of occupants is not unheard of.
“It's not like our other special event weekends," said Smith. "Mom's weekend we fill up in 15 minutes."
Despite having prepared for busier weekends than the upcoming one, the inn is still making some preparations for the visitors to come, making their best effort to house former Bobcats making their way back to the bricks.
"When the dates are laced, we're set for it," Smith said. "If there are no rooms available, we find somewhere for them to stay, such as Lancaster, Parkersburg or Gallipolis."
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