Instead of seeing the typical rush of holiday-season customers that pushes the year’s sales into the black, local business are planning to hibernate for the winter break’s six-week stretch.
Though some schedules have yet to be finalized, many restaurants simply will not stay open as late to adjust to the departure of Ohio University students.
Big Mamma’s Burritos will also change its hours with the start of winter break. The restaurant stays open until 3 a.m. every night but will change closing time to 10 p.m. on weekdays and 2:30 a.m. on weekends, employee Sara Cecil said.
“It’s been pretty slow. It slows down just like any other business. There is hardly anybody here,” Cecil said.
Restaurants such as Bagel Street Deli will continue to stay open daily, though new hours for winter break have yet to be determined, employee Annastasia Chambers said.
“It’s much slower than the summer,” Chambers said. “We stay afloat just because of local businesses who tend to come in for their lunch break, people that wouldn’t have been coming in during the school year because it’s too busy.”
Though the change to semesters will improve business in December of next year, the extended break into the middle of January will even out the increase, Cecil said.
Other businesses will keep their classes-in-session hours despite the decreased student population.
Union Street Diner will continue to stay open 24/7, employee Paul Moseo said.
While restaurants are not the only Uptown businesses adjusting to the holiday intersession, some entities will rely on resident regulars and online sales to continue to accumulate revenue.
“It hasn’t been that bad,” said Jay Mobbs of the Smoke Zone Smoke Shop, adding that the store will retain its regular hours. “We still have a lot of regulars who come in and get what they usually buy.”
College Book Store, which relies on online book orders, will eventually benefit from OU’s switch to semesters in terms of surviving the six-week gap, manager Gene Armes said.
“I think it will help some of the Christmas sales yet hurt some of the spring sales,” said Armes. “Moms Weekend, for instance, which is always big, will now have to occur a few weeks earlier, possibly in bad weather, and we know things like that could potentially hurt business.”
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