University of Idaho students are a welcome sight to many downtown businesses in Moscow. More people means more revenue and new faces to look at.
“They bring a breath of life back into Moscow,” said Sarah Pritchett, a manager at One World Café. “It”s cool that they are back.”
Pritchett said having the students back in Moscow has made the café much busier than during the summer. They can now be open late again and have students studying at the tables, she said.
One World has hosted concerts with Skinny and the Kid and Naked in the Philippines and held several open mic nights since the students have been back, Pritchett said.
Not only is this fun for customers who visit, but she said it also supports the Moscow music scene. In the summer, Pritchett said there was no open mic night in June because business was a little slower.
Welcoming students back to town, Pritchett said One World offered a 20 percent discount during the first week of school. She also said they are trying to promote One World as a study spot for students by offering study discounts of 10 percent off after 7 p.m. for groups of six or more.
At Bucer”s, the owner Pat Greenfield also notices a difference. Greenfield said students account for about 30 to 35 percent of Bucer”s sales and about 65 percent of her customer base.
“It is a noticeable difference,” Greenfield said. “College students like coffee.”
Greenfield said that in the summer, she also sees more families and elderly people in the store. Moscow is about 50 percent college students, Greenfield said, so when students go home for breaks or summer, people who were timid about going out during the school year come out during the summer.
Yet, Greenfield has noticed more students are opting to stay in Moscow during the breaks and in summer, and said it is likely due to people needing the money in order to live here and go to school.
While Bucer”s hours don”t change by much, the live music is less varied during the summer. During the school year, Greenfield can choose bands made up of music students or a group of students who play as a hobby.
Greenfield also said they do specials all the time, especially seasonal specials. There are also daily specials, which Greenfield said students seem to enjoy.
Pritchett said that even though the slow Moscow summer is nice, it is still a college town. With the new freshmen in town, Pritchett said the biggest change between summer and the school year has been seeing all the new faces with freshmen who visit the cafe.
Claire Whitley can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @Cewhitley24