Vacation takes toll on local vendors

Sarah Brown Life Editor

Whether spent tanning on sun-kissed beaches or working on a senior thesis, winter break offers a much-needed escape from the classes and commotion of college life for members of the Vassar community. While a few students, many of whom are international, stayed on campus over break, most left for the duration of the five-week vacation.

According to area vendors, the annual mass exodus has a large impact on the way local businesses function. Particularly hard-hit shops include those located on Collegeview and Raymond Avenues, directly adjacent to campus.

Owner of the Subterranean Skye Café Drew White said that winter break means dramatically scaling back his business. The shop is a late-night hot spot for students, open as late (or early) as 4 a.m. on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. “We do our best business late at night, and most of our patronage comes from students,” said White.

The shop, located at 7 Collegeview Avenue, is also highly trafficked by the faculty and administration lunch crowd. Without these patrons, Subterranean Skye loses the majority of its business and has been forced to close on Tuesdays. Many employees, including White, take time off during this period.

“We expect to lose the faculty lunch business and late-night students, so we try to pack in as much business as possible before break,” said White.

Juliet’s Café, another late-night location on the corner of Collegeview and Raymond, was affected by the dearth of students in a major way. “You all love to play our arcade games, buy drinks and cigarettes, and eat our brick-oven pizzas. When you are gone all we have is the high school crowd, but there are fewer of them and they can only do so many of those things,” said manager Zofia Galazka.

Zorona’s Restaurant, located at 50 Raymond Avenue, also suffered a loss in revenue over the break. Zorona’s manager Brian Nesheiwat said that thirty to 40 percent of their business comes from Vassar students and faculty. Zorona’s is creating a new shop several buildings down the street, which Nesheiwat hopes will attract a larger crowd of local residents to help allay the losses suffered when Vassar is on vacation.

Three Arts Bookstore owner Walter Effron said that winter breaks have been increasingly affecting his Collegeview Avenue shop since 1982 when he took over the store, which his parents started in 1946. “We see a larger percentage [of students] than we used to, and that means that there is a lot less business when Vassar is away,” said Effron.

Three Arts, like many shops next to Vassar, used to have a larger portion of town business. “Twenty years ago, retail was better in general, but with the Internet, catalogs, and large-chain competition, small businesses like [Three Arts] have had a harder time making money,” said Effron.

According to Beech Tree Grill owner Maureen Lewis, the restaurant saw a slower decline in patronage than most shops due to the fact that “we have more area coverage than most other shops in the vicinity.” Lewis says that most of their Vassar-related business comes from faculty and administrators.

Students make up a mere 10 percent of patrons. However, Beech Tree Chef Chuck Charpentier pointed out, “The neighborhood gets a lot quieter when you all leave.”

One exception to the pattern is Stimpson’s House of Nutrition, located at 1-3 Collegeview Avenue. “Winter is a slow time, but we actually see a spike in business after New Year’s, after everyone has made resolutions,” said employee Andrew Paterson.
Although the shop accepts the V-Card, it does not have a primarily Vassar-based clientele. Since the shop is supported mainly by Dutchess County residents, Stimpson’s business is hardly affected by winter break.

“We don’t really see a lot of Vassar business, but we are hoping to get more,” said Paterson. “Regardless, it’s just nice to see you guys back.”