As Syracuse University students settle back on campus for the start of a new semester, local restaurants see the economic effects.

Tommy Leonard, a manager of Wings Over Syracuse — a popular restaurant among students — said everyone being back on campus definitely helps pick up business.

On the restaurant’s menu, the closing hours of the store vary according to school breaks. During some of the breaks it is busy enough to stay open, but in the summer their hours change, Leonard said.

He added that when the fall semester starts, Wings Over keeps its hours the same until the end of the spring semester.

The students and the educational institutions in the area, including SU, Upstate Medical University and the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, have increased the amount of economic return for the community, which creates growth and development, according to a University Hill release.

Direct spending by students, employees, faculty and visitors, along with money spent on housing, all create more economic activity for the Syracuse area. In 2013, for example, SU’s estimated economic impact in the region was about $2.16 billion, according to a 2013 study by the Center for Governmental Research.

The Upstate New York area has the third-most dense student population throughout the U.S., according to the University Hill release. SU is also the area’s second-largest employer with 1,968 faculty members and 3,610 staff members.

Laurie Reed, the director of marketing at University Hill, said she believes the statistics speak for themselves.

“Having 26,000 students within a mile radius is going to be good for business,” she said. “The retail shops rely heavily on the business from the students.”

Published on September 2, 2015 at 10:13 pm

Contact Lauren: lmdoyle@syr.edu