Local businesses in Starkville prepare for influx of students
STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI)- With the summer slowly coming to an end, the school has started for many K-12 students.
It is almost that time for college students.
While that may be exciting for them, it can also be exciting for business owners as they will have more people who may visit their stores.
The streets of Starkville are emptier than usual when college students go back home for the summer.
With the 20,000 people that live in Starkville, some businesses get less traffic when school is not in session.
“For someone who lives in Starkville full-time, the summer is nice because it’s a far few people in town but, businesses enjoy when students are here and visiting the businesses and things like that,” Sarah Kudijaroff said.
The student population of one of the largest universities in the state, Mississippi State University, helps businesses bring in more customers.
The kitchen Manager for restaurant Bin 612 said it is necessary to adjust to slow business in the summer.
“Kind of cutback really, we plan for having less business so we have fewer employees on the clock, order less food, fewer drinks,” Doug Marchinkowska said.
Manager for Two Brothers Smoked Meat restaurant said employment is also a priority when dealing with the summer drought.
“You have to keep in mind that since you’re businesses are slower you have to manage which staff members are going to stick around with you versus coming home, Sarah Kudijaroff said. “You got to make sure that they are making enough money to survive, pay rent, pay bill, things like that and, still have their free time as well.”
When classes start for college students, it may be great for businesses, but it can also be overwhelming.
“Time goes by a lot faster, but it can be a headache,” Marchinkowska said. “There’s more volume comes more potential for a problem to come up but, I like cooking so at the end of the day eventually people are going to stop ordering and we are going to go clean up and go home. No matter how busy it is.”
“There is a little bit of anxiety that there is students coming back just because you don’t know when that initial wave of all of them being here with there families moving in and things like that or with school starting later than leases start then they have nothing to really do other than hangout with their friends, go out eat, go out and drink,” Kudijaroff said. “So, the anxiety is when is it going to happen, when are we going to get hit with it, are we prepared for it.”
Overall, the locals are excited to see students fill the streets, and bring in more business for the city.
The first day of classes at MSU is August 21st.
