After dorm rooms and apartments have been emptied, grades have been calculated and another school year has come to an end for Syracuse University, life on the Hill continues for some.

Although the SU student body has gone, the stores and bars near Marshall Street remain active and busy, but many face new challenges brought on by a loss in customers and employees.

During the summer season, J. Michael Shoes, the popular store on Marshall Street, finds new ways draw in customers even in the slowest of months, with an increased focus on promotional deals.

“June is the slowest month of the year and it is a lot quieter around here, so we have to give people a reason to come up here, because during the year this place is a destination,” assistant manager Zak Solomon said.

With the absence of SU students, one of the store’s largest groups of clientele, J. Michael Shoes does its best to attract local customers during the slow months.

“Our hours don’t change because we want people to know that they can come in like they normally would,” Solomon said. “We want to give them a reason to come in from the pools and stuff.”

Aside from clothing stores, cafés on the Hill also try to attract different types of customers.

Café Kubal, located in Marshall Square Mall, is one of the most popular hangouts on the Hill. Now that school is over, the variety of customers is more evident, said Ashley Schaffer, an employee of the coffee shop.

“Mostly, it is people from the hospital or professors from campus who are here for the summer,” she said. “We get traffic from those who pass by as well.”

A second Syracuse summer still presents its challenges for Café Kubal after having experienced a summer on the Hill last year. The lunch rush remains a busy time for the staff, but without its student employees, the shop becomes more chaotic.

Although many businesses on the Hill find ways to survive the summer months, some choose to close their doors.

Chuck’s Café, which has been on campus since 1981, is one of the most popular locations for students during the school year. Upon calling Chuck’s, an outgoing message says that the bar is closed during the summer and it will be ready for the return of its student customers Aug. 21.

For a few businesses on the Hill, the summer can bring in new customers. As relatives come to town to visit families and sports teams begin training camp, June through August are not bad months for business for Manny’s, the popular retailer of Syracuse sports gear.

 “When the local grade schools let out, people come to town to visit and they have to get their Syracuse gear,” said manager and storeowner Bill Nester. “The football, basketball and lacrosse camps bring in customers because people want the quality SU merchandise that they know Manny’s can provide.”

Nester said that the downtime allows the store to stock up on merchandise to be sold during the sports seasons.

“The slow periods give us time to replenish our stock because it all has to be in place when school starts,” Nester said. “It takes time to get ready for the fall and football season, which leads right into the winter and basketball season.”

Although many companies struggle to adapt for the summer months, the dip in business over the summer can be a blessing in disguise, allowing stores to prepare for the upcoming school year, when life on the Hill truly thrives.

Published on June 4, 2014 at 5:25 pm

Contact Lauren: ljporter@syr.edu