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Mike Theiss is shocked by the number of open parking spots he’s seen on Marshall Street, which is usually packed this time of year with Syracuse University students returning to campus.

When SU began its fall semester in August, local businesses were cautiously optimistic that the return of students would help them recover from the financial losses they had sustained since SU shut down its campus in March. But despite the influx of students, owners and managers at several local businesses told The Daily Orange they have not seen as many customers as they typically do during the first weeks of the school year. 

“It’s been kind of weird getting used to the fact that it’s so quiet,” said Theiss, the general manager of Manny’s, a clothing store on Marshall Street that specializes in SU apparel. “On Marshall Street, you come down at two o’clock in the afternoon and you can usually find a parking spot, when normally you can’t.”

Theiss reopened Manny’s doors at the end of May, after Onondaga County began its reopening process on May 15. The store had few customers over the summer, as there was little activity on SU’s campus. Camps SU holds for local children were canceled and summer classes were held completely online. 

Business at Manny’s has picked up slightly with the return of students to campus, Theiss said. But over the past few weeks, Manny’s has seen only a fraction of its usual stream of customers.

One reason for this may be that parents, who usually stay in Syracuse for a few days after helping their children move in, had to immediately leave campus in accordance with SU’s move-in guidelines, Theiss said. Parents account for a fair amount of Manny’s business early in the school year.

Erik Hicks, the manager of J. Michael Shoes on Marshall Street, estimates that about 80% of the store’s customers are SU students. Their absence over the past several months has been devastating, he said. 

The business reopened after Memorial Day with limited hours and reduced staff, and the store’s hours were extended in the week before students began returning to campus. The business has experienced a slight boost in customers over the past few weeks, but nowhere near the store’s usual amount, Hicks said.

With many SU courses either fully or partially online, and about 2,500 students taking classes remotely, students are less likely to head to Marshall Street between classes, Hicks said. 

“People are going to class and then going straight home or to the library,” Hicks said. “The environment on Marshall Street is just not what we’re used to.”

Phoebe’s Restaurant, located across the street from the Syracuse Stage, has experienced a similar lack of business despite the return of SU students, said Angie Knox, the restaurant’s general manager, in an email. The restaurant reopened on Aug. 10 as students started returning to Syracuse. 

About 20% of the restaurant’s overall sales come from students, Knox said. But, many of the drama students who frequent Phoebe’s coffee lounge are taking their classes online this semester, and the restaurant is only seeing about 10% of its typical student traffic, she said. 

“This obviously is to be expected due to the pandemic and of course due to the reduced limited capacity for seating,” Knox said. “We just hope that it improves soon.”

Though their businesses have managed to get by since the beginning of the pandemic, Theiss and Hicks are uncertain what the future of their stores will be, especially if students are sent home part-way through the semester again, they said. 

For now, Hicks said, he’s taking things one day at a time, and hoping SU students realize the impact they have on the success of Syracuse businesses. 

“There’s so much riding on [students’] presence here, for the whole city,” he said. “This whole city depends on SU students.” 

Published on September 6, 2020 at 11:27 pm

Contact Gillian: gifollet@syr.edu