Athens restaurants, bars and retailers have waited all summer for the surge of returning Ohio University students that means better business and bigger profits, but the end of that upswing is already in sight.
The exodus of students and some faculty after Fall Quarter will usher in a bleak break for some of those businesses ' a pattern that will remain unbroken for now, thanks to a vote by an OU committee charged with examining the university's academic calendar.
The 20-person committee split down the middle in a summer vote between the quarter and semester systems and, with an 11-to-9 vote, narrowly recommended maintaining the current calendar setup, said Phyllis Bernt, chair of the Academic Calendar and System Committee.
Although the committee's research had an academic focus, several Athens business representatives attended the open meetings to state their case, Bernt said.
They didn't care whether we went to semesters or stayed on
quarters
but their issue is the long winter break she said.
It's a case they've been making for more than a decade.
From the business standpoint retailers need customers obviously all year long
said Larry Payne, member services coordinator for the Athens Area Chamber of Commerce. When you have a gap as long as six weeks
it makes it difficult for retailers (and) restaurants to stay profitable.
And that's especially true when those six weeks fall in the prime holiday shopping season between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
If the university shifted classes one or two weeks into December, it would be huge for local businesses, Payne said, even if OU stayed on the quarter system.
Josh Thomas, who owns the Brenen's Coffee cafes on Columbus and Court streets, said he isn't sure his business would do better if students stayed around for December because it tends to be more successful in warm weather.
But many of the roughly 50 members of the Athens Uptown Business Association likely would vote in favor of the extra customers during the pre-Christmas shopping season, said Thomas, the association's president.Tom VanDyke, manager of The Pub on Court Street, said business takes a hit when the student-fueled nightlife goes dormant during break.
It's probably only a third of what they do when the students are here
he said. Summer's not that great either
but you know
you break even. But December is very quiet.
The long break was one of the biggest complaints voiced by the owner of the old Taco Bell on Court Street, which moved to East State Street, Payne said. But he doesn't expect other Uptown businesses to leave because owners there know and accept the university's schedule.
However, that schedule can be a deterrent for potential new businesses to the area. As co-owner of the University Mall on East State Street, Brent Hayes has fielded concerns about the university's calendar while trying to attract retailers to the area. And the same concern comes from major retailers and mom-and-pop stores alike.
I've never had anybody say
'If they switch
we'll come
' but as far as the business end
