Staff
Editorial: Keep College Park rich Our View: The College Park City Council should actively promote
local business ownership by creating an independent business alliance.
Diamondback - 25 Feb 2008
... COLLEGE PARK, MD - Independent businesses have been found to have three
times the economic impact on a region than analogous chain stores. A typical
chain bookstore returns about $13 to the local economy for every $100 spent
at the store, whereas independent booksellers have been shown to return $45
out of every $100.
This may seem startling, but the causes behind the staggering disparity are
quite simple. Independent businesses tend to have smaller reach in terms
of their employment pools and tend to hire local labor; be owned by people
who live in the area and keep the profits within the regional economy; and
support secondary employment of artists and authors ...
Details
of Retail Looking to spur neighborhood development and attract and keep
new students? Working toward the right retail mix will help.
University Business - Mar 2007
... USA - Getting the right mix of retail businesses around campus can be
a Catch-22 situation: Administrators think small-town stores won't satisfy,
yet big chains won't move in until the locals prove successful. The question
isn't always what stores should be built, but how to create retail areas
that cater both to students and town residents.
Certainly, the retail store selection near campus is partly why students
choose the schools that they do, agrees Midge McCauley, principal of ERA
(Economics Research Associates), a retail strategic implementation corporation.
"The problem is, most college students spend money at home, not in
their college town." ...
Shopping
for Advice Retail consultants clearly impact the way communities look today.
Many IHEs are welcoming them to their neighborhoods.
University Business - Dec 2005
...USA - Here's the good news: According to Chicago-area firm Teenage Research
Unlimited, young people spent upwards of a whopping $169 billion in 2004.
Those dollars can translate into significant business around colleges and
can impact the way a school attracts Generation Y prospects.
The bad news: Figuring out how to build a retail portfolio makes for a
real undertaking.
It's an undeniable truth that change does not come quickly or easily in
the world of higher education. Yet from The Ohio State University to the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, more IHE decision-makers are realizing
that developing a retail portfolio near campus provides a solution to several
challenges. Vital retail offerings--from Starbucks to a locally owned music
shop--can not only satisfy students but boost a school's image, attract
faculty and staff, enliven surrounding neighborhoods, and strengthen revenue
streams...
College
Town Seeks To Define 'Chain'
Community & Economic Development New Paltz does not want the special charms of its small town,
collegiate business district chained down.
Times Herald-Record - 7 Dec 2005
...NEW PALTZ, NY - "It's no secret that the Village Board wants to
keep New Paltz unchained by large, out-of-town corporate businesses.
But what exactly is a chain? Is a chain composed only of hundreds of links
or just a handful? And what if that handful is owned not by some faraway
corporate group but a guy just down the road?
Those are the sort of questions Mayor Jason West says the Village Board
is researching in light of the expected arrival of Blockheads, a Mexican
restaurant that hopes to open its doors in the spring in the space now occupied
by Ariel Booksellers."
Ariel Booksellers, a 34-year-old, locally owned bookstore and fixture
in this quintessential college town, bit the dust on Nov. 11.
Nationally, locally originated and owned stores in college towns are being
replaced by the cookie cutter franchises familiar from any mallscape.
Read the College
Town News
a weekly digest of news from college towns across the United Sates, and beyond.
College town life
College towns make great hometowns. Students, singles, families, working people,
and retirees all can find connections and a niche for themselves in the wide
variety of college towns across the United States. Town and gown together
create a better quality of life.
CollegeTownLife
P. O. Box 223
Oxford, OH 45056
Robert Karrow, editor
Reverse
migration to college towns Entrepreneurs and urban professionals are discovering life in the
heartland. Are small cities the new economic cutting edge?
In Life 2.0: How People Across America Are Transforming Their Lives by
Finding the Where of Their Happiness, Forbes publisher Rich Karlgaard
examines a growing shift in "executive class" people from metropolitan
areas on the coasts to smaller cities; including college towns like Bozeman,
MT; Des Moines, IA; Madison, WI; and Oxford, MS. These pioneers are looking
for more conducive business climates, a stronger sense of home, lower cost
of living and higher quality of life. Karlgaard believes that "small
cities could well outperform large cities economically over the next decade."
Transcending
retail chain districts: The VIBE beta community
CoolTown Studios
...USA - Creatives, urbanites [and college towns] want local, indie businesses.
Developers know about investing in real estate, not small businesses, and
not only do national/regional chains make it easier for them, they can pay
3-5 times more rent. That's a crippling dilemma ...
College
towns rank high on 'recession-proof' list
Tribune - 4 May 2008
... USA - Using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Hovind, president
of JobBait.com, compared job expansion in a number of key industries and workforce
growth in various metropolitan areas. He came up with a list of about two
dozen areas where jobs outpaced the workforce during the recessions of 1990
and 2001, and in the past year, and figured they'd likely fare well in another
downturn.
Among the metropolitan areas making his list were Prescott, Ariz.; Fayetteville,
Ark.; Bakersfield, Calif.; Grand Junction, Colo.; Bend, Ore.; Valdosta, Ga.;
and Morgantown, W.Va.
Each has an economy built around some industry or mix of industries that
"don't follow the business-cycle pattern," said Matt Martin, an
economist with the Federal Reserve Bank's Charlotte office. They're regional
health-care centers, state capitals or university towns ...
Today, in the newly expanded co-op in this small college town, one finds
mothers, retirees, Republicans, people who don't wear sandals.
Advertisement
"At one time only certain people would shop here," said Ed Hover,
one of those retirees in this town with a heavily Norwegian heritage. "People
who were 'far-out' - not your normal Scandinavians."
Oneota now has 2,900 members, or roughly one in seven residents of Winneshiek
County. In April, the store's grand opening celebrated its fourth move to
a bigger store since its origin in the 1970s. The retail space has tripled
to 5,600 square feet from its last location, a block away on Decorah's business
district ...
The stores' owners have a common element: They're poised for new challenges.
As Missoula grows, they said, their stores offer wares typically found in
Seattle, Portland and other cities.
Downtown, which is known for its trendy boutiques, continues evolving. In
fact, downtown Missoula was one of five “unsung shopping locales”
featured in Lucky magazine last August.
“It is still a rural place, but I think Missoula is becoming more and
more cosmopolitan,” said Linda McCarthy, executive director of the Missoula
Downtown Association ...
PSU
alumni set on serving authentic Thai food
Collegian - 6 Mar 2008
... STATE COLLEGE, PA - With a little bit of a New York City vibe and a whole
lot of Thailand taste, Cozy Thai Bistro, 454 E. College Ave., is serving up
Thai food as authentic as it comes.
Executive chef and owner Suksan Ruangpattana and co-owner Peeranee Musigchai
are both Penn State alumni who majored in hotel, restaurant and institutional
management (HRIM) ...
Cafe,
cinema and gallery combine in Maine college town
News - 3 Feb 2008
... BRUNSWICK, ME - - For eight years Michael Gilroy traveled ancient trade
routes through the Middle East and Asia, leading cultural expeditions and
thinking about how to share what he saw, tasted and heard.
``I wanted to bring it all home to a community, but in a way that wasn't
as elitist as a gallery or even an art house would be,'' Gilroy said. The
resulting Frontier Cafe, Cinema and Gallery in Brunswick, Maine, is a winning
combination - a culinary and cultural meeting spot ...
Farm
Restaurant Opens in Bloomington, Indiana
GreenGeezer - 16 Jan 2008
... BLOOMINGTON, IN - FARM Restaurant has opened in Bloomington, Indiana,
bringing to this delightful college town another outpost in the movement to
eat local. Daniel Orr, the chef/owner, was born in Columbus, Indiana, but
lived and worked all around the world, finally becoming the Executive Chef
at La Grenouille, New York City's famed French restaurant where he earned
a three-star review from the New York Times. But the best reason to go the
Farm is for its food, which will
" focus on the local and fresh ingredients that Orr will incorporate
into his menu items. The fusion of island cuisine and Midwest American cooking
will be the prime focus at FARM." Can't wait to eat there next time we're
in Bloomington ...
Out
with the new, in with the vintage Sanctuary Vintage is located in the Old City.
Tennessee Journalist - 28 Dec 2007
... KNOXVILLE, TN - As downtown Knoxville experiences a surge in developmental
projects, entrepreneur Reed Massengill of Sanctuary Vintage offers a charming
montage of nostalgic mementoes of yonder years.
Massengill's cornucopia of funky clothing, bric-a-brac and jewelry provides
hipsters with an outlet to incorporate vintage apparel into their modern wardrobes
...
Massengill attributes the success of his business to his prime location in
the heart of downtown Knoxville's historic Old City that is close to the University
Of Tennessee campus and the city's growing number of lofts and apartments.
"One of the things I've always loved about certain cities is their vibrant
downtowns, particularly in college towns, where there's usually a bohemian
district with funky shops, galleries and salons," ...
Middlebury
and the Chocolate Bar
Independent - 27 Dec 2007
... MIDDLEBURY, VT — Middlebury College officials hope to reopen the
former Eat Good Food space on Main Street by this coming February, using it
for a “chocolate bar,” student night spot, small-scale retail
venture and as a spot for town-gown activities.
Tim Spears, dean of students for the college, confirmed the news last week.
It was back in August that the institution signed a short-term lease on the
2,700-square-foot space, seeing it as a good spot in which to open a venture
that could boost student activity in downtown Middlebury while not competing
with current businesses. The college has spent the past four months soliciting
campus and public feedback on how to use the former restaurant space, along
with sorting how the enterprise will be configured and managed ...
WHAT'S
UP WITH THAT?
Chronicle - 25 Dec 2007
... BOZEMAN, MT - GLASS ROOTS -- In a college town, it's inevitable that,
somewhere, someone will build something out of beer or liquor bottles.
A new company in Bozeman is doing just that, except on a larger scale. Glass
Roots is busy turning post-consumer glass bottles -- beer, water, liquor,
etc. -- into luminescent architectural tiles and light fixtures.
In an e-mail to the Chronicle, the company said the tiles are created using
a solar-powered manufacturing process, adding to the recycling-sustainability
theme ...
Uncovering
the world of 'hidden tech'
CNN - 14 Dec 2007
... USA - In the late 1990s she noticed more and more tech companies springing
up in the college town of Amherst, Massachusetts. "In my neighborhood
... I found six tech companies in these modern contemporary homes," Zuckerman
said. "I was flabbergasted. This was not what this neighborhood was known
for."
She called it "hidden tech" and established a networking and educational
Web site in 2001 for mostly home-based, high-tech business owners. CNN spoke
with Zuckerman to find out more about the world of "hidden tech."
...
Scooters
Inc. is a smooth ride Citizen - 19 Oct 2007
... CARRBORO, NC - Does spending $5 a week on gas sound like pure fantasy?
For Chapel Hill and Carrboro residents, it’s now a reality, thanks to
Carrboro’s new Scooters Inc.
The scooter store opened at 211 E. Main St. on Aug. 10. Dave Jansen, the
store’s owner, is also the owner of Combustion Cycles, a motorcycle
store in Durham ...
OU fans can hitch
a ride to stadium
NewsOK - 1 Sep 2007
... NORMAN, OK — What started as a college student's idea for a business
has morphed into comfort and convenience for University of Oklahoma football
fans.
Brickshaw Buggy is returning to Norman for football season, starting with
tonight's game. OU is scheduled to play North Texas at 6 p.m., and Rocky Chavez
said his drivers will provide rickshaw-like transportation service from three
hours before kickoff until about two hours after each game ...
Web site: www.brickshaw.com.
First & Feisty Street Smarts [ A quickie guide to Main Street Durham ]
Get a dose of college town, shop and snack all on one street.
NH Magazine - 1 Sep 2007
... DURHAM, NH - You’re actually much more likely going to hear “I’m
headed to D-Hop” than the official name of this delicious pizza joint
at 40 Main St. The Durham House of Pizza, though swamped with the college
crowd after hours, is a great place to pause and grab a slice. There’s
plenty of seating inside, or take a slice to go as you stroll down the road.
Be sure not to miss Franz’s Food, located in a laundromat at 46 Main
St. This eatery, an Editor’s Pick in New Hampshire Magazine’s
2007 Best of NH, serves up a huge variety of food, from French fries and hamburgers
to soups and vegetarian fare. Though there isn’t much room inside to
sit and eat, when the weather is nice enjoy your Franz selection at a few
outdoor tables or eat on the go. www.franzsfood.com ...
I grew up in Athens, Ga., a deep-South city with a surprising number
of similarities to Santa Cruz. Both are university towns of about the same
size, located 70 miles from "The City": Atlanta and San Francisco,
respectively. And each has more than its share of local bands, hip bars and
arts culture ...
The evolution
of Toad's
Yale Daily News - 31 Aug 2007
... NEW HAVEN, CT - Yalies don’t often associate sidling and swaying
with Toad’s, which has hosted the infamous Saturday Night Dance Party
since the mid-’80s — the most common descriptors for the event
are “sloppy,” “sweaty” or just plain “drunk.”
And despite the club’s 90-day forced suspension this summer following
a 2005 alcohol raid, the recently reopened club has retained all that makes
Toad’s Toad’s: sidling, sloppiness, and drunkenness alike.
“The only reason it can exist with as much success as it does is because
music has no single market,” said Jon Abrams, the Wayfarered, ungoateed
Billy Joel of The Strangers. “It must change and transform to please
a population, and reaching as many people as possible, as Toad’s does,
is the smartest decision a club owner can make.” ...
Missoula rocks record store Rockin' Rudy's captures Ma & Pa record store appeal
University Chronicle - 30 Jul 2007
... MISSOULA, MT - In the heart of most college towns lies a record store;
St. Cloud has the Electric Fetus, and Missoula, Mont. has Rockin' Rudy's.
Rockin' Rudy's has fueled Missoula's music scene for the past 30-some years.
Its location has changed three times, but the owner remains the same, and
with him the store's style ...
Savvy Shopper: Move from downtown a 'win-win’
News-Record - 23 Jul 2007
... GREENSBORO, NC - "We’re going to become a serious retail operation,"
she says. "For six years now, I have had fun with it and enjoyed every
moment, and I’m not going to stop doing that. But I didn’t really
know what I was doing six years ago."
Now, Rodenbough has a clear plan: A downsized shop offering seasonal vintage
collections that rotate weekly and appeal mainly to college-age shoppers,
who comprise about 70 percent of her customers ...
Fred and Lori Hord of Alexandria, Va., decided to return to their college
town to raise their kids in a family-friendly environment, Fred Hord said.
They also plan to bring their online wedding shoe, apparel and accessory business
- www.myglassslipper.com - with them ...
Newark honored as business-friendly area
News Journal - 23 May 2007
... NEWARK, DE - Newark's initiatives to help businesses develop has earned
it the Small Business Administration's Community of the Year award.
The city of Newark is officially one great place to do business. That assessment
comes straight from the city itself.
Delaware's bustling college town told the Small Business Administration that
its mix of shop-friendly initiatives made it deserving of this year's Delaware
Small Business Community of the Year award, and the SBA agreed, hailing the
town for persevering in the face of a planned shutdown of the Chrysler plant
...
Madison and your Kitchen: Megan's MoCo
Dane101 - 11 May 2007
... MADISON, WI - Madison native Megan Ramey always knew she would be opening
a business of her own one day. The question remained: how was she going to
combine her passions for fashion, hospitality, culinary, and the unique Madison
community into one? Simple: an urban lifestyles store. Something very new,
and unique that the city of Madison has long been awaiting ...
"MoCo is the solution for the growing population of young urban dwellers
who are forced to run around town in search of fresh foods and convenience
goods," ...
T-shirt craze Options abound at local stores
Collegian - 3 Apr 2007
... STATE COLLEGE, PA - Let's face it. In a college town, T-shirts are the
universal uniform and are acceptable apparel for most occasions.
Luckily, in this college town, there are many options of where to go and
to find a variety of shirts.
"People need shirts," said Brian Hamman, owner of Spotted Lizard
Printing and Graphics ...
It's all Greek for store at University and Main Developing retail center adds screen print, embroidery shop
The Leaf-Chronicle - 20 Apr 2007
... CLARKSVILLE, TN - Rice said he landed in the Greek screen printing, embroidery
and merchandising business after seeing a need for it in Clarksville.
"I knew I wanted to start a business," he said, "but at first,
I wasn't quite sure what it was going to be."
"After 12 years in the Army, I finished up with college at Austin Peay,
and while there, I joined the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity. I wanted to get
everything that had my fraternity letters on it, but to do that, I had to
travel to Nashville.
"I realized there was no place in Clarksville to do that, so I thought,
'There's an opportunity to do that here in Clarksville, which is a college
town, after all,'" ...
Pho Eatery, Clothing
Store Launches Recently in I.V.
Daily Nexus - 20 Apr 2007
... ISLA VISTA, CA - Isla Vista food fanatics and fashionistas alike have
reason to celebrate since a new Vietnamese restaurant, as well as a designer
boutique, have opened in the past month.
Pho Bistro had its grand opening on March 24, and Miss Behavin’ swung
open its doors on April 9 to college women in need of fashionable jeans and
tops ...
Lieu said she chose I.V. as the location of her first restaurant in part
because she has a soft spot for college towns.
“I love college towns. They remind me of when I was young and crazy,”
...
From a house-turned-business, appropriately on Cook Drive off East State
Street, owner Matt Pearson said he is working to “bring a little bit
of Mom’s home cooking to a college town.”
False rumors have been going around that Delivery Dough is based out of Pearson’s
home, which is in Nelsonville, said John Rinaldi, Delivery Dough’s media
coordinator. Pearson converted the house on Cook Drive into a commercial business
that opened two months ago, complete with a professional-quality kitchen and
a staff of 15 employees ...
'College town' must appeal to community Expert says retailers near universities must attract nonstudents.
Tribune - 14 Apr 2007
... NOTRE DAME / SOUTH BEND, IN - College towns typically are collaborative
efforts between a college and its city. That's the case in South Bend, where
the Eddy Street Commons project closely parallels a development plan approved
several years ago by the Northeast Neighborhood Revitalization Organization
...
‘College town’ needs off-campus appeal, expert tells Notre Dame
crowd
Tribune - 13 Apr 2007
... SOUTH BEND, IN — The ideal mix for a successful development near
campus is 70 percent local retailers and 30 percent national chains, he said
at the start of a conference titled "Creating a 21st Century College
Town.’ ...
Entrepreneurs add flavor to Granville
Dispatch - 3 Apr 2007
... GRANVILLE, OH - Tina and Randy Corbin are turning a pizza shop in Granville
into a casual restaurant.
Granville may be seen as a sleepy little college town, but that doesn't mean
the dining options have to ma ke you snooze.
The burg has been known for years as the home of a couple of fine-dining
inns: the Buxton and the Granville.
In recent years, however, a few entrepreneurs have been looking to spice
things up with new restaurants and menus.
The most active has been Jerry Martin, who, with a group of investors, bought
Brews Cafe and then the Granville Inn ...
College-geared Rugby store closes Franklin Street doors
Duke Chronicle - 3 Apr 2007
... CHAPEL HILL, NC - To the dismay of preppy-punk shoppers sporting skull-and-crossbones
polo shirts, the Rugby Store on East Franklin Street in Chapel Hill closed
its doors March 10, after just two years of business.
"Rugby had a product and brand that just didn't match our market,"
said Aaron Nelson, president and CEO of the Chapel Hill Chamber of Commerce.
"Our men don't dress that preppy."
The Chapel Hill closing coincided with the closing of a second Rugby venue
in Charlottesville, Va ...
New 18-and-older club
bounces open
Daily Evergreen - 9 Mar 2007
... PULLMAN, WA - The new 18-and-older club located underneath Mike’s
on Colorado Street boasts $30,000 worth of sound equipment, a dance floor
and food. The club, called Bounce, opened less than a month ago to cater to
those suffering the woes of being too young for some of Pullman’s sacredly
held establishments. (Read: the bars).
The question is whether Bounce will successfully transition into the workings
of the younger college community’s social lives. If the fliers promoting
Bounce that took over Facebook and apartment doors indicate anything, it’s
that the mission has begun ...
Owner of 3 Aggieville businesses shares personal insight Diane Meredith, owner of The Dusty Bookshelf, Thread and Acme
Gift, talks about the pressures of work and what she does to cope.
Collegian - 8 Feb 2007
...MANHATTAN, KS - "In a college town, T-shirts never get old, so why
not try it?" Meredith said.
There is never a dull moment on the corner of Manhattan Avenue and Moro Street,
where all three stores are located.
"Each store attracts a certain person or type of personality,"
Sauter said. "I like to see the crazy things people put on T-shirts."
...
Entrepreneur set to tap niche in comics, games
Business Review - 8 Feb 2007
... Ann Arbor, MI - A new entrepreneur is hoping to tap into Ann Arbor's student
market with a comics and games store set to open next month.
Alexander Horvath, a former IT consultant, will transform the former Sake
Bombs Depot on Packard into Get Your Game On. He will sell comics, new and
used video games and tabletop games, including role-playing games and strategy
board games. The shop will also carry card games, magic cards and miniature
war games ...
Cookies now a delivery option
Centre Daily Times - 4 Feb 2007
... STATE COLLEGE, PA - These bedtime cookies will be delivered right to your
door -- complete with milk.
"It's a necessary complementary product," said Seth Berkowitz,
CEO of Insomnia Cookies.
Starting Thursday, his business venture will begin delivering cookies, brownies
and milk in the State College area from 8 p.m. until the wee hours of the
morning ...
Business is booming Accessory shop unveils SU graduate's bold creativity
Daily Orange - 26 Jan 2007
...SYRACUSE, NY - Walking through the open doors of the tiny shop, the decorum
of audacious colors is striking. The hot pink walls are adorned with brightly
colored accessories that overwhelm shoppers with memories of little girls
playing dress-up in their mother's jewels.
Rhodadendron, the latest addition to Marshall Square Mall, was brought to
campus by a fashion-savvy Syracuse University alumna. The store offers an
eclectic collection of earrings, necklaces, bracelets, watches, scarves, hats
and bags ...
MO Growth Near U of M Flourishing MO's bistro could signal bigger, better things near
university
Daily News - 28 Dec 2006
...MEMPHIS, TN - On the surface, MO's is little more than a modest storefront
smack in the heart of a busy college neighborhood. Yet in its more than three
years of existence, MO's - an abbreviation of the phrase Memphis Originals
- has successfully courted a customer base that includes artists, musicians,
songwriters, college students, senior citizens, entrepreneurs, filmmakers,
dreamers and more.
Eyes on the prize
Once patrons step inside, they're welcomed by a visual feast that includes
multi-colored strings of lights, artwork, racks of trinkets, books and CDs.
The compositions of local artists adorn the walls, music wafts from speakers
and the scent of freshly prepared dishes such as smoothies and oven-baked
cookies wafts throughout the space.
And it probably comes as no surprise that Black, a businesswoman who sings
the praises of books like "Half Luck and Half Brains" by Holiday
Inn founder Kemmons Wilson, has her sights set squarely on tomorrow...
Gen Y makes a mark and their imprint is entrepreneurship
USA TODAY - 8 Dec 2006
...USA - They've got the smarts and the confidence to get a job, but increasing
numbers of the millennial generation — those in their mid-20s and younger
— are deciding corporate America just doesn't fit their needs.
So armed with a hefty dose of optimism, moxie and self-esteem, they are becoming
entrepreneurs.
"People are realizing they don't have to go to work in suits and ties
and don't have to talk about budgets every day," says Ben Kaufman, 20,
founder of a company that makes iPod accessories. "They can have a job
they like. They can create a job for themselves."...
He started out with financial help from his parents, but he now has more
than $1.5 million in venture capital. His line of cases, armbands and belt
clips is produced in China, which he visits several times a year, between
classes at Champlain College in Burlington, Vt., where he's a sophomore majoring
in business...
College
towns make the grade with entrepreneurs Start-Ups By recent college graduates find what they need in university
cities.
Centre Daily Times, Nov 29, 2005
...USA - "Betting on educational hubs is smart in today's economy...across
the US, young entrepreneurs are making their buisiness ideas a reality by
tapping the resources and economies available in college towns."
University
towns: hot job markets Low jobless rates in college towns may have contributed to strong
jobs growth nationwide.
The Christian Science Monitor - 3 Mar 2005
...USA – From Bryan-College Station, Texas, to Madison, Wis., America's
college towns are producing more than diplomas - they have become job machines.
The cap-and-gown nests, in fact, have some of the fastest economic growth
and lowest jobless rates in the nation. This reflects a change in the way
many universities now think of themselves: The ivory towers have been replaced
by research parks working on cutting-edge technologies from stem-cell research
to fuel cells...
Are College Towns The Antedote To
Offshore Outsourcing? A new company matches hometown information technology talent with
corporate needs. ... USA - The need for IT staff and
the human resources available in college towns prove the perfect combination
for startup Rural Sourcing Inc. "For development officials trying to
stem the flow of jobs offshore, the stakes are enormous. Forrester Research
has predicted that at least 3.3 million white-collar jobs and $136 billion
in wages will leave the United States by 2015."
Source: Dispatch Tribune, Feb 26, 2005
Full Story: Southern Business: Company seeks to keep jobs in rural America
Clarksville's
Downtown Reinvents Itself After Tonado, Adds 50 New Businesses
Leaf-Chronicle - 16 Jan 2005
...CLARKSVILLE, TN - This is the second story in the series "Downtown
Rebirth," The Leaf-Chronicle's monthlong focus on strides made in the
rebuilding of downtown Clarksville, six years after a tornado damaged the
area in January 1999...
Miami partners with Edun Apparel Ltd. Business students bring together U.S. universities, African workers
Miami Student - 12 Jan 2007
...OXFORD, OH - Partnering with business executives and humanitarian efforts
across the globe, Miami University students from the Richard T. Farmer School
of Business Center for Social Entrepreneurship unveiled a plan Wednesday for
the newly created business, Edun LIVE on Campus.
This puts Miami students at the heart of first collegiate program to work
with Edun LIVE, a subsidiary of Edun Apparel Ltd., which employs workers in
sub-Saharan Africa to produce blank T-shirts that can then be ordered by any
business or organization for custom screen-printing ...
New dance club
offers variety of entertainment
O'Collegian - 12 Jan 2007
...STILLWATER, OK - People who find themselves searching for a dance club
after The Tumbleweed’s closing once again have a place to shake their
groove things.
The Stillwater Vibe, an 18-and-older dance club, opened its doors Thursday
night.
Along with a dance floor that measures about 30 feet by 40 feet, The Vibe
visitors can play pool on one of the five pool tables, mingle in the spacious
area with tables, or play shuffle board or darts.
With a capacity of 660, The Vibe owner and manager John Berry said his establishment
will bring something new to Stillwater ...
“We’re planning on opening multiple locations throughout the
existence of the rest of the company,” Berry said. “Every place
that we open will be in different college towns until we start moving into
bigger cities.” ...
Reader’s Cove has high hopes for future ‘We want to be the Tattered Cover of Northern Colorado’
Coloradoan - 10 Jan 2007
...FORT COLLINS, CO - Fort Collins’ new independent bookstore, Reader’s
Cove, is open for business southwest of Harmony Road and Lemay Avenue.
By “cove,” store owners Charles and Karey Kaine mean a 6,600-square-foot
store with 33,000 titles in stock. Once they add a second-floor mezzanine
this spring, they’ll add 20,000 more titles ...
“Ever since Jade Creek closed a while back, I’ve thought it was
just a shame that Fort Collins didn’t have its own independent bookstore,”
Knudsen said. “I just know it can support one, being a college town
— even in the competitive retail market we have.”
Tortilla
soup's light but satisfying
Times - 10 Jan 2007
...USA - The college town where we live has gone crazy over a new theater
that opened recently. A small but beautifully designed movie house with three
big screens, it shows mostly independent flicks.
From opening day, this cinema has been packed, and much of the town's social
life seems to be revolving around it. Our friends are constantly calling when
a new title appears on the marquis to see if we want to join them for dinner
and a movie ...
Matthew Dean, who is renting the space to run Club Euphoria, is still waiting
for word on whether the state liquor authority will grant him a liquor license.
A hearing was planned for today, but on Tuesday, Dean found out it was moved
to Jan. 24.
“I figured it would take three, four, maybe five months max, not eight,”
said Dean of his application ...
“There's a whole list of national bands that are touring and visiting
college towns that aren't coming here,” said Trevor McDonald, a local
musician who is planning a benefit at Club Euphoria in early February ...
New grill offering Japanese and Korean selections
Banner-Herald - 22 Oct 2006
...ATHENS, GA - The Kims moved to the Atlanta area from the West Coast. David,
who owned an upscale Japanese restaurant called Meeka, moved to Atlanta four
years ago, and Aaron, who has worked on the operational end of food service
with the Radisson Group of restaurants, came east last year.
They visited Athens and felt like a college town would be a good venue to
try out their new eating concept.
"College towns are always great places to open restaurants," Kim
said...
Market named
business of year Weaver Street claims Chamber's first sustainable business prize
News - 15 Oct 2006
...CHAPEL HILL, NC - Weaver Street Market was named Sustainable Business of
the Year on Thursday night by the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce's
Foundation for a Sustainable Community.
The market has invested in other community organizations, supported local
agriculture and "really invited in the community and become a community
fixture," said Aaron Nelson, the chamber's executive director.
The award, given for the first time this year, is the first step in the chamber's
plans to create a program to certify local businesses as "sustainable,"
he said...
Shop expects 'sweet' sales A Penn State alumnus recently opened a candy shop that he says
will satisfy the State College sweet tooth demand.
Collegian - 11 Oct 2006
...STATE COLLEGE, PA - Before settling on the decision to open Happy Valley
Candy, Pisapia said he considered other options.
"I thought about maybe opening a bar or pizza place," Pisapia said.
"But there are so many places like that around here."
Pisapia then came up with the idea of opening a candy store after noticing
the demand for such a business was not being met in State College...
Lawrence
Resident Builds/Markets Electric Bike
Capital-Journal - 1 Oct 2006
...LAWRENCE, KS - Lawrence resident Del Christensen has built hot rods all
his life, but his newest creation doesn't roar down the road. It hums.
Christensen has built a ready-to-ride electric bicycle capable of going up
to 35 mph, with a range of about 20 miles before it needs to be recharged.
He plans to market and sell the bikes over the Internet through a new Web
site, www.currentcyclebikes.com.
Hungry? Get Your Grill On
Oracle - 30 Sep 2006
...NEW PALTZ, NY - With walls painted in warm colors like olive green and
pumpkin, dark classy wood furniture and big windows, the restaurant offers
a soothing and relaxing indoor atmosphere. With daily specials, soups and
party platters available, it also features a side porch for bright outdoor
dining. For dedicated owner Paul Casado, 26, achieving this environment is
no small task, but he succeeds in reaching the challenge on a daily basis.
“I always knew I’d be in business for myself,” Casado
said.
A fairly young business, Wrapsody Grill has been a part of New Paltz for
one year and two months. Casado started visiting New Paltz two summers ago,
so he already had an idea of what the community was like before starting his
restaurant. The building used to be an antique store until Casado came along.
The name, Wrapsody Grill, was the end result of about three nights of brainstorming
with his family. Casado said that the musical connotation in the name just
seemed to fit. A suitable choice, since the restaurant is equipped with satellite
radio and music can be heard playing softly in the background. On any given
day, students and New Paltz residents alike can be seen coming and going to
and from Wrapsody Grill.
Now committed to a business he loves, Casado has a message to share with
the campus community: “To the students of New Paltz-once you graduate,
if you’re not happy doing what you’re doing, stop and pursue your
dream he said. As scary as that may be, you have to do it. Don’t be
scared to take the jump. You’ve got to be happy.” ...
Delivery
service provides meals 'straight to your door'
Indiana Daily Student - 8 Sep 2006
...BLOOMINGTON, IN - "Straight2yourdoor is really a beneficial service
because it offers you something others don't," said co-creator and recent
IU graduate Jason Moldoff. "We deliver from restaurants that normally
do not, and the food is healthier and better quality."
Moldoff, an IU alumnus fresh out of the Kelley School of Business, and fifth-year
student Seth Fishman teamed up during their junior year to turn their vision
of a different kind of delivery service into action. After getting restaurants
around town hooked and designing a Web site complete with restaurant menus
and easy order-and-pay services, Straight2yourdoor.com was born.
Part of the inspiration for starting the company came from national services
similar to Straight2yourdoor like Take-Out Taxi and College Bellhop...
Appealing apparel
Sun - 2 Sep 2006
...GAINESVILLE, FL - American Apparel, an international garment company known
for its good working conditions and support of sustainability, is opening
a store this weekend in downtown Gainesville in half of what was the former
Rice Hardware on SW 1st Avenue.
The 2,400-square-foot shop is being stocked now with T-shirts, tanks, pullovers,
shorts, skirts and pants in a myriad of bright colors - all casual clothes
styled for the college-age and 20-something shopper, and all unadorned. While
there are some items with contrasting trim, there are no words, prints or
logos...
Young, smart, stylish people are our target market and we've been successful
going into college towns like Ann Arbor, Mich., and Columbus, Ohio, so hopefully,
the UF students will find us."
He also said the renewal of downtown was attractive...
In Oxford, Hyde Park, businesses attract similar clientele
Miami Student - 29 Aug 2006
...OXFORD, OH - What do Oxford and Hyde Park have in common? Aside from Hyde
Park being a popular spot in Cincinnati for Miami University students to reside
after graduation, the neighborhood has become home to many of the same businesses
that are in Oxford and has even inspired the move of new businesses to the
area.
Soho Women's Apparel is a new store that has occupied the empty Park Place
building formerly used by Sweet Temptations. The boutique, which originated
in Hyde Park, carries clothing by 15 designers that no other local store carries.
Betsey Johnson, Anna Sui and Helen Wang are three of these notable designers.
The store was also named by Cincinnati Magazine as the "Hippest Boutique
in Town," and was featured on the E! Channel's show, "Fashion Emergency."...
California neighborhood yogurt-maker's success
Times 14 Aug 2006
...It has been called ``Crackberry" and ``frozen heroin juice" by
its fans and detractors because many of the college students, television writers,
and well-to-do families who cheerfully queue up as many as four nights in
a single week agree with food blogger Rosie O'Neill, who wrote recently: ``I
would get Pinkberry IV'ed into my veins if I could."...
Hwang, the daughter of a factory owner in South Korea, came to America in
1992 for business school at the University of Southern California. She understands
that people want food that is healthy and low-calorie and that they will pay
more money for it than you might think.
Pinkberry yogurt is made with milk and is about 20 calories per ounce, and
is topped with fresh fruit.
The store offers only two flavors of yogurt, plain and green tea. You cannot
buy anything else, not even water. There is little waste and the staff can
be trained in a few hours...
Homegrown Business: Fort Collins Tailoring Istanbul native masters art of tailoring for customers
Coloradoan - 14 Aug 2006
...FORT COLLINS, CO - Saniye Oksar's customers call her an artist.
The Fort Collins tailor is one of the best in the state, according to her
customers.
For more than six years Oksar has been operating Fort Collins Tailoring, a
small tailoring shop on College Avenue.
"I learned from my mother. My family is tailors and seamstresses,"
the Istanbul native said...
Planet Smoothie orbits growing health drink craze
The Leaf-Chronicle - 11 Aug 2006
...CLARKSVILLE, TN - "We were looking for a new and unique way to invest
in Clarksville," Elizabeth said, "and this evolved after we had
taken our daughter on a tour of college towns.
"While we were visiting these cities, we tested smoothies, and ran across
a product we really liked in Planet Smoothie...
2 ex-UI students launch new publication
News-Gazette - 10 Aug 2006
...CHAMPAIGN / URBANA, IL - The new publication, founded by two former University
of Illinois students, will debut in Champaign-Urbana and other Midwest college
towns later this month. Articles in the free magazine will focus on "how
students can get a jump-start on their semester, how to stay organized academically,
how to party and still make it to class," said Proof's Editor-in-Chief
Derek Chin...
Out-of-town Bronco's mom sets up shop in Boise
Idaho Statesman - 9 Aug 2006
...BOISE, ID - Former Boise State football players often put down permanent
roots in the Boise area when their careers end.
The next trend might be players' parents doing the same.
Randi Miller, the mother of BSU senior safety Gerald Alexander, has become
a local businesswoman.
Miller opened a Louisiana Famous Fried Chicken store last month down the
street from the BSU campus at 2132 Broadway. She already owned a townhouse
and a four-plex in Boise...
Craftsman moving studio from New Mexico to Bethlehem
Morning Call - 8 Aug 2006
...BETHLEHEM, PA - If you're wondering how a New Mexico businessman landed
here, Cree has East Coast roots. He grew up in New Jersey and went to college
at Bucknell University, and would drive from there to Lehigh University to
visit friends.
As a pro craftsman, he moved west, working in Boulder, Colo., and San Francisco
before landing in New Mexico. He found the Land of Enchantment a slow market
and a difficult place to find good help. (He usually employs several assistants.)
Cree believes his business will take off again in the Lehigh Valley, driven
by the region's own rapid growth.
''Eastern Pennsylvania's going to go through the roof,'' he said. ''It's
kind of doing it now.''...
Enterprising
junior urges students to get baked New bakery to offer homemade goodies
Indiana Daily Student - 13 Jul 2006
...BLOOMINGTON, IN - While riding out a shift as a Circuit City floor salesman
his senior year of high school, Jared Schneider realized he'd like to be able
to wear shorts to work if he felt so inclined.
He realized he wanted to work for himself.
He's not waiting on a bachelor's degree.
By late July, the 19-year-old junior plans to open Baked! of Bloomington,
a downtown cookie delivery store. Schneider touts freshly baked cookies straight
out of the oven as an alternative to yet another pizza or sub...
Newark honored as business-friendly area
News Journal - 23 May 2007
... NEWARK, DE - Newark's initiatives to help businesses develop has earned
it the Small Business Administration's Community of the Year award.
The city of Newark is officially one great place to do business. That assessment
comes straight from the city itself.
Delaware's bustling college town told the Small Business Administration that
its mix of shop-friendly initiatives made it deserving of this year's Delaware
Small Business Community of the Year award, and the SBA agreed, hailing the
town for persevering in the face of a planned shutdown of the Chrysler plant
...
Madison and your Kitchen: Megan's MoCo
Dane101 - 11 May 2007
... MADISON, WI - Madison native Megan Ramey always knew she would be opening
a business of her own one day. The question remained: how was she going to
combine her passions for fashion, hospitality, culinary, and the unique Madison
community into one? Simple: an urban lifestyles store. Something very new,
and unique that the city of Madison has long been awaiting ...
"MoCo is the solution for the growing population of young urban dwellers
who are forced to run around town in search of fresh foods and convenience
goods," ...
T-shirt craze Options abound at local stores
Collegian - 3 Apr 2007
... STATE COLLEGE, PA - Let's face it. In a college town, T-shirts are the
universal uniform and are acceptable apparel for most occasions.
Luckily, in this college town, there are many options of where to go and
to find a variety of shirts.
"People need shirts," said Brian Hamman, owner of Spotted Lizard
Printing and Graphics ...
It's all Greek for store at University and Main Developing retail center adds screen print, embroidery shop
The Leaf-Chronicle - 20 Apr 2007
... CLARKSVILLE, TN - Rice said he landed in the Greek screen printing, embroidery
and merchandising business after seeing a need for it in Clarksville.
"I knew I wanted to start a business," he said, "but at first,
I wasn't quite sure what it was going to be."
"After 12 years in the Army, I finished up with college at Austin Peay,
and while there, I joined the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity. I wanted to get
everything that had my fraternity letters on it, but to do that, I had to
travel to Nashville.
"I realized there was no place in Clarksville to do that, so I thought,
'There's an opportunity to do that here in Clarksville, which is a college
town, after all,'" ...
Pho Eatery, Clothing
Store Launches Recently in I.V.
Daily Nexus - 20 Apr 2007
... ISLA VISTA, CA - Isla Vista food fanatics and fashionistas alike have
reason to celebrate since a new Vietnamese restaurant, as well as a designer
boutique, have opened in the past month.
Pho Bistro had its grand opening on March 24, and Miss Behavin’ swung
open its doors on April 9 to college women in need of fashionable jeans and
tops ...
Lieu said she chose I.V. as the location of her first restaurant in part
because she has a soft spot for college towns.
“I love college towns. They remind me of when I was young and crazy,”
...
From a house-turned-business, appropriately on Cook Drive off East State
Street, owner Matt Pearson said he is working to “bring a little bit
of Mom’s home cooking to a college town.”
False rumors have been going around that Delivery Dough is based out of Pearson’s
home, which is in Nelsonville, said John Rinaldi, Delivery Dough’s media
coordinator. Pearson converted the house on Cook Drive into a commercial business
that opened two months ago, complete with a professional-quality kitchen and
a staff of 15 employees ...
'College town' must appeal to community Expert says retailers near universities must attract nonstudents.
Tribune - 14 Apr 2007
... NOTRE DAME / SOUTH BEND, IN - College towns typically are collaborative
efforts between a college and its city. That's the case in South Bend, where
the Eddy Street Commons project closely parallels a development plan approved
several years ago by the Northeast Neighborhood Revitalization Organization
...
‘College town’ needs off-campus appeal, expert tells Notre Dame
crowd
Tribune - 13 Apr 2007
... SOUTH BEND, IN — The ideal mix for a successful development near
campus is 70 percent local retailers and 30 percent national chains, he said
at the start of a conference titled "Creating a 21st Century College
Town.’ ...
Entrepreneurs add flavor to Granville
Dispatch - 3 Apr 2007
... GRANVILLE, OH - Tina and Randy Corbin are turning a pizza shop in Granville
into a casual restaurant.
Granville may be seen as a sleepy little college town, but that doesn't mean
the dining options have to ma ke you snooze.
The burg has been known for years as the home of a couple of fine-dining
inns: the Buxton and the Granville.
In recent years, however, a few entrepreneurs have been looking to spice
things up with new restaurants and menus.
The most active has been Jerry Martin, who, with a group of investors, bought
Brews Cafe and then the Granville Inn ...
College-geared Rugby store closes Franklin Street doors
Duke Chronicle - 3 Apr 2007
... CHAPEL HILL, NC - To the dismay of preppy-punk shoppers sporting skull-and-crossbones
polo shirts, the Rugby Store on East Franklin Street in Chapel Hill closed
its doors March 10, after just two years of business.
"Rugby had a product and brand that just didn't match our market,"
said Aaron Nelson, president and CEO of the Chapel Hill Chamber of Commerce.
"Our men don't dress that preppy."
The Chapel Hill closing coincided with the closing of a second Rugby venue
in Charlottesville, Va ...
New 18-and-older club
bounces open
Daily Evergreen - 9 Mar 2007
... PULLMAN, WA - The new 18-and-older club located underneath Mike’s
on Colorado Street boasts $30,000 worth of sound equipment, a dance floor
and food. The club, called Bounce, opened less than a month ago to cater to
those suffering the woes of being too young for some of Pullman’s sacredly
held establishments. (Read: the bars).
The question is whether Bounce will successfully transition into the workings
of the younger college community’s social lives. If the fliers promoting
Bounce that took over Facebook and apartment doors indicate anything, it’s
that the mission has begun ...
Owner of 3 Aggieville businesses shares personal insight Diane Meredith, owner of The Dusty Bookshelf, Thread and Acme
Gift, talks about the pressures of work and what she does to cope.
Collegian - 8 Feb 2007
...MANHATTAN, KS - "In a college town, T-shirts never get old, so why
not try it?" Meredith said.
There is never a dull moment on the corner of Manhattan Avenue and Moro Street,
where all three stores are located.
"Each store attracts a certain person or type of personality,"
Sauter said. "I like to see the crazy things people put on T-shirts."
...
Entrepreneur set to tap niche in comics, games
Business Review - 8 Feb 2007
... Ann Arbor, MI - A new entrepreneur is hoping to tap into Ann Arbor's student
market with a comics and games store set to open next month.
Alexander Horvath, a former IT consultant, will transform the former Sake
Bombs Depot on Packard into Get Your Game On. He will sell comics, new and
used video games and tabletop games, including role-playing games and strategy
board games. The shop will also carry card games, magic cards and miniature
war games ...
Cookies now a delivery option
Centre Daily Times - 4 Feb 2007
... STATE COLLEGE, PA - These bedtime cookies will be delivered right to your
door -- complete with milk.
"It's a necessary complementary product," said Seth Berkowitz,
CEO of Insomnia Cookies.
Starting Thursday, his business venture will begin delivering cookies, brownies
and milk in the State College area from 8 p.m. until the wee hours of the
morning ...
Business is booming Accessory shop unveils SU graduate's bold creativity
Daily Orange - 26 Jan 2007
...SYRACUSE, NY - Walking through the open doors of the tiny shop, the decorum
of audacious colors is striking. The hot pink walls are adorned with brightly
colored accessories that overwhelm shoppers with memories of little girls
playing dress-up in their mother's jewels.
Rhodadendron, the latest addition to Marshall Square Mall, was brought to
campus by a fashion-savvy Syracuse University alumna. The store offers an
eclectic collection of earrings, necklaces, bracelets, watches, scarves, hats
and bags ...
Reinvent
Your Life
MO
Growth Near U of M Flourishing MO's bistro could signal bigger, better things near
university
Daily News - 28 Dec 2006
...MEMPHIS, TN - On the surface, MO's is little more than a modest storefront
smack in the heart of a busy college neighborhood. Yet in its more than
three years of existence, MO's - an abbreviation of the phrase Memphis Originals
- has successfully courted a customer base that includes artists, musicians,
songwriters, college students, senior citizens, entrepreneurs, filmmakers,
dreamers and more.
Eyes on the prize
Once patrons step inside, they're welcomed by a visual feast that includes
multi-colored strings of lights, artwork, racks of trinkets, books and CDs.
The compositions of local artists adorn the walls, music wafts from speakers
and the scent of freshly prepared dishes such as smoothies and oven-baked
cookies wafts throughout the space.
And it probably comes as no surprise that Black, a businesswoman who sings
the praises of books like "Half Luck and Half Brains" by Holiday
Inn founder Kemmons Wilson, has her sights set squarely on tomorrow...
Gen Y makes a mark and their imprint is entrepreneurship
USA TODAY - 8 Dec 2006
...USA - They've got the smarts and the confidence to get a job, but increasing
numbers of the millennial generation — those in their mid-20s and
younger — are deciding corporate America just doesn't fit their needs.
So armed with a hefty dose of optimism, moxie and self-esteem, they are
becoming entrepreneurs.
"People are realizing they don't have to go to work in suits and ties
and don't have to talk about budgets every day," says Ben Kaufman,
20, founder of a company that makes iPod accessories. "They can have
a job they like. They can create a job for themselves."...
He started out with financial help from his parents, but he now has more
than $1.5 million in venture capital. His line of cases, armbands and belt
clips is produced in China, which he visits several times a year, between
classes at Champlain College in Burlington, Vt., where he's a sophomore
majoring in business...
College
towns make the grade with entrepreneurs Start-Ups By recent college graduates find what they need in
university cities.
Centre Daily Times, Nov 29, 2005
...USA - "Betting on educational hubs is smart in today's economy...across
the US, young entrepreneurs are making their buisiness ideas a reality by
tapping the resources and economies available in college towns."
University
towns: hot job markets Low jobless rates in college towns may have contributed to strong
jobs growth nationwide.
The Christian Science Monitor - 3 Mar 2005
...USA – From Bryan-College Station, Texas, to Madison, Wis., America's
college towns are producing more than diplomas - they have become job machines.
The cap-and-gown nests, in fact, have some of the fastest economic growth
and lowest jobless rates in the nation. This reflects a change in the way
many universities now think of themselves: The ivory towers have been replaced
by research parks working on cutting-edge technologies from stem-cell research
to fuel cells...
Are College Towns The Antedote To
Offshore Outsourcing? A new company matches hometown information technology talent
with corporate needs. ...USA - The need for IT staff and
the human resources available in college towns prove the perfect combination
for startup Rural Sourcing Inc. "For development officials trying to
stem the flow of jobs offshore, the stakes are enormous. Forrester Research
has predicted that at least 3.3 million white-collar jobs and $136 billion
in wages will leave the United States by 2015."
Source: Dispatch Tribune, Feb 26, 2005
Full Story: Southern Business: Company seeks to keep jobs in rural America
Clarksville's
Downtown Reinvents Itself After Tonado, Adds 50 New Businesses
Leaf-Chronicle - 16 Jan 2005
...CLARKSVILLE, TN - This is the second story in the series "Downtown
Rebirth," The Leaf-Chronicle's monthlong focus on strides made in the
rebuilding of downtown Clarksville, six years after a tornado damaged the
area in January 1999...
Miami partners with Edun Apparel Ltd. Business students bring together U.S. universities, African
workers
Miami Student - 12 Jan 2007
...OXFORD, OH - Partnering with business executives and humanitarian efforts
across the globe, Miami University students from the Richard T. Farmer School
of Business Center for Social Entrepreneurship unveiled a plan Wednesday
for the newly created business, Edun LIVE on Campus.
This puts Miami students at the heart of first collegiate program to work
with Edun LIVE, a subsidiary of Edun Apparel Ltd., which employs workers
in sub-Saharan Africa to produce blank T-shirts that can then be ordered
by any business or organization for custom screen-printing ...
New dance club
offers variety of entertainment
O'Collegian - 12 Jan 2007
...STILLWATER, OK - People who find themselves searching for a dance club
after The Tumbleweed’s closing once again have a place to shake their
groove things.
The Stillwater Vibe, an 18-and-older dance club, opened its doors Thursday
night.
Along with a dance floor that measures about 30 feet by 40 feet, The Vibe
visitors can play pool on one of the five pool tables, mingle in the spacious
area with tables, or play shuffle board or darts.
With a capacity of 660, The Vibe owner and manager John Berry said his
establishment will bring something new to Stillwater ...
“We’re planning on opening multiple locations throughout the
existence of the rest of the company,” Berry said. “Every place
that we open will be in different college towns until we start moving into
bigger cities.” ...
Reader’s Cove has high hopes for future ‘We want to be the Tattered Cover of Northern Colorado’
Coloradoan - 10 Jan 2007
...FORT COLLINS, CO - Fort Collins’ new independent bookstore, Reader’s
Cove, is open for business southwest of Harmony Road and Lemay Avenue.
By “cove,” store owners Charles and Karey Kaine mean a 6,600-square-foot
store with 33,000 titles in stock. Once they add a second-floor mezzanine
this spring, they’ll add 20,000 more titles ...
“Ever since Jade Creek closed a while back, I’ve thought it
was just a shame that Fort Collins didn’t have its own independent
bookstore,” Knudsen said. “I just know it can support one, being
a college town — even in the competitive retail market we have.”
Tortilla
soup's light but satisfying
Times - 10 Jan 2007
...USA - The college town where we live has gone crazy over a new theater
that opened recently. A small but beautifully designed movie house with
three big screens, it shows mostly independent flicks.
From opening day, this cinema has been packed, and much of the town's social
life seems to be revolving around it. Our friends are constantly calling
when a new title appears on the marquis to see if we want to join them for
dinner and a movie ...
Matthew Dean, who is renting the space to run Club Euphoria, is still waiting
for word on whether the state liquor authority will grant him a liquor license.
A hearing was planned for today, but on Tuesday, Dean found out it was moved
to Jan. 24.
“I figured it would take three, four, maybe five months max, not eight,”
said Dean of his application ...
“There's a whole list of national bands that are touring and visiting
college towns that aren't coming here,” said Trevor McDonald, a local
musician who is planning a benefit at Club Euphoria in early February ...
New grill offering Japanese and Korean selections
Banner-Herald - 22 Oct 2006
...ATHENS, GA - The Kims moved to the Atlanta area from the West Coast.
David, who owned an upscale Japanese restaurant called Meeka, moved to Atlanta
four years ago, and Aaron, who has worked on the operational end of food
service with the Radisson Group of restaurants, came east last year.
They visited Athens and felt like a college town would be a good venue
to try out their new eating concept.
"College towns are always great places to open restaurants,"
Kim said...
Market named
business of year Weaver Street claims Chamber's first sustainable business prize
News - 15 Oct 2006
...CHAPEL HILL, NC - Weaver Street Market was named Sustainable Business
of the Year on Thursday night by the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce's
Foundation for a Sustainable Community.
The market has invested in other community organizations, supported local
agriculture and "really invited in the community and become a community
fixture," said Aaron Nelson, the chamber's executive director.
The award, given for the first time this year, is the first step in the
chamber's plans to create a program to certify local businesses as "sustainable,"
he said...
Shop expects 'sweet' sales A Penn State alumnus recently opened a candy shop that he says
will satisfy the State College sweet tooth demand.
Collegian - 11 Oct 2006
...STATE COLLEGE, PA - Before settling on the decision to open Happy Valley
Candy, Pisapia said he considered other options.
"I thought about maybe opening a bar or pizza place," Pisapia
said. "But there are so many places like that around here."
Pisapia then came up with the idea of opening a candy store after noticing
the demand for such a business was not being met in State College...
Lawrence
Resident Builds/Markets Electric Bike
Capital-Journal - 1 Oct 2006
...LAWRENCE, KS - Lawrence resident Del Christensen has built hot rods all
his life, but his newest creation doesn't roar down the road. It hums.
Christensen has built a ready-to-ride electric bicycle capable of going
up to 35 mph, with a range of about 20 miles before it needs to be recharged.
He plans to market and sell the bikes over the Internet through a new Web
site, www.currentcyclebikes.com.
Hungry? Get Your Grill On
Oracle - 30 Sep 2006
...NEW PALTZ, NY - With walls painted in warm colors like olive green and
pumpkin, dark classy wood furniture and big windows, the restaurant offers
a soothing and relaxing indoor atmosphere. With daily specials, soups and
party platters available, it also features a side porch for bright outdoor
dining. For dedicated owner Paul Casado, 26, achieving this environment
is no small task, but he succeeds in reaching the challenge on a daily basis.
“I always knew I’d be in business for myself,” Casado
said.
A fairly young business, Wrapsody Grill has been a part of New Paltz for
one year and two months. Casado started visiting New Paltz two summers ago,
so he already had an idea of what the community was like before starting
his restaurant. The building used to be an antique store until Casado came
along.
The name, Wrapsody Grill, was the end result of about three nights of brainstorming
with his family. Casado said that the musical connotation in the name just
seemed to fit. A suitable choice, since the restaurant is equipped with
satellite radio and music can be heard playing softly in the background.
On any given day, students and New Paltz residents alike can be seen coming
and going to and from Wrapsody Grill.
Now committed to a business he loves, Casado has a message to share with
the campus community: “To the students of New Paltz-once you graduate,
if you’re not happy doing what you’re doing, stop and pursue
your dream he said. As scary as that may be, you have to do it. Don’t
be scared to take the jump. You’ve got to be happy.” ..
Delivery
service provides meals 'straight to your door'
Indiana Daily Student - 8 Sep 2006
...BLOOMINGTON, IN - "Straight2yourdoor is really a beneficial service
because it offers you something others don't," said co-creator and
recent IU graduate Jason Moldoff. "We deliver from restaurants that
normally do not, and the food is healthier and better quality."
Moldoff, an IU alumnus fresh out of the Kelley School of Business, and
fifth-year student Seth Fishman teamed up during their junior year to turn
their vision of a different kind of delivery service into action. After
getting restaurants around town hooked and designing a Web site complete
with restaurant menus and easy order-and-pay services, Straight2yourdoor.com
was born.
Part of the inspiration for starting the company came from national services
similar to Straight2yourdoor like Take-Out Taxi and College Bellhop...
Appealing apparel
Sun - 2 Sep 2006
...GAINESVILLE, FL - American Apparel, an international garment company
known for its good working conditions and support of sustainability, is
opening a store this weekend in downtown Gainesville in half of what was
the former Rice Hardware on SW 1st Avenue.
The 2,400-square-foot shop is being stocked now with T-shirts, tanks, pullovers,
shorts, skirts and pants in a myriad of bright colors - all casual clothes
styled for the college-age and 20-something shopper, and all unadorned.
While there are some items with contrasting trim, there are no words, prints
or logos...
Young, smart, stylish people are our target market and we've been successful
going into college towns like Ann Arbor, Mich., and Columbus, Ohio, so hopefully,
the UF students will find us."
He also said the renewal of downtown was attractive...
In Oxford, Hyde Park, businesses attract similar clientele
Miami Student - 29 Aug 2006
...OXFORD, OH - What do Oxford and Hyde Park have in common? Aside from
Hyde Park being a popular spot in Cincinnati for Miami University students
to reside after graduation, the neighborhood has become home to many of
the same businesses that are in Oxford and has even inspired the move of
new businesses to the area.
Soho Women's Apparel is a new store that has occupied the empty Park Place
building formerly used by Sweet Temptations. The boutique, which originated
in Hyde Park, carries clothing by 15 designers that no other local store
carries. Betsey Johnson, Anna Sui and Helen Wang are three of these notable
designers.
The store was also named by Cincinnati Magazine as the "Hippest Boutique
in Town," and was featured on the E! Channel's show, "Fashion
Emergency."...
California neighborhood yogurt-maker's success
Times 14 Aug 2006
...It has been called ``Crackberry" and ``frozen heroin juice"
by its fans and detractors because many of the college students, television
writers, and well-to-do families who cheerfully queue up as many as four
nights in a single week agree with food blogger Rosie O'Neill, who wrote
recently: ``I would get Pinkberry IV'ed into my veins if I could."...
Hwang, the daughter of a factory owner in South Korea, came to America
in 1992 for business school at the University of Southern California. She
understands that people want food that is healthy and low-calorie and that
they will pay more money for it than you might think.
Pinkberry yogurt is made with milk and is about 20 calories per ounce,
and is topped with fresh fruit.
The store offers only two flavors of yogurt, plain and green tea. You cannot
buy anything else, not even water. There is little waste and the staff can
be trained in a few hours...
Homegrown Business: Fort Collins Tailoring Istanbul native masters art of tailoring for customers
Coloradoan - 14 Aug 2006
...FORT COLLINS, CO - Saniye Oksar's customers call her an artist.
The Fort Collins tailor is one of the best in the state, according to her
customers.
For more than six years Oksar has been operating Fort Collins Tailoring,
a small tailoring shop on College Avenue.
"I learned from my mother. My family is tailors and seamstresses,"
the Istanbul native said...
Planet Smoothie orbits growing health drink craze
The Leaf-Chronicle - 11 Aug 2006
...CLARKSVILLE, TN - "We were looking for a new and unique way to invest
in Clarksville," Elizabeth said, "and this evolved after we had
taken our daughter on a tour of college towns.
"While we were visiting these cities, we tested smoothies, and ran
across a product we really liked in Planet Smoothie...
2 ex-UI students launch new publication
News-Gazette - 10 Aug 2006
...CHAMPAIGN / URBANA, IL - The new publication, founded by two former University
of Illinois students, will debut in Champaign-Urbana and other Midwest college
towns later this month. Articles in the free magazine will focus on "how
students can get a jump-start on their semester, how to stay organized academically,
how to party and still make it to class," said Proof's Editor-in-Chief
Derek Chin...
Out-of-town Bronco's mom sets up shop in Boise
Idaho Statesman - 9 Aug 2006
...BOISE, ID - Former Boise State football players often put down permanent
roots in the Boise area when their careers end.
The next trend might be players' parents doing the same.
Randi Miller, the mother of BSU senior safety Gerald Alexander, has become
a local businesswoman.
Miller opened a Louisiana Famous Fried Chicken store last month down the
street from the BSU campus at 2132 Broadway. She already owned a townhouse
and a four-plex in Boise...
Craftsman moving studio from New Mexico to Bethlehem
Morning Call - 8 Aug 2006
...BETHLEHEM, PA - If you're wondering how a New Mexico businessman landed
here, Cree has East Coast roots. He grew up in New Jersey and went to college
at Bucknell University, and would drive from there to Lehigh University
to visit friends.
As a pro craftsman, he moved west, working in Boulder, Colo., and San Francisco
before landing in New Mexico. He found the Land of Enchantment a slow market
and a difficult place to find good help. (He usually employs several assistants.)
Cree believes his business will take off again in the Lehigh Valley, driven
by the region's own rapid growth.
''Eastern Pennsylvania's going to go through the roof,'' he said. ''It's
kind of doing it now.''...
Enterprising
junior urges students to get baked New bakery to offer homemade goodies
Indiana Daily Student - 13 Jul 2006
...BLOOMINGTON, IN - While riding out a shift as a Circuit City floor salesman
his senior year of high school, Jared Schneider realized he'd like to be
able to wear shorts to work if he felt so inclined.
He realized he wanted to work for himself.
He's not waiting on a bachelor's degree.
By late July, the 19-year-old junior plans to open Baked! of Bloomington,
a downtown cookie delivery store. Schneider touts freshly baked cookies
straight out of the oven as an alternative to yet another pizza or sub...
Business owner’s game plan a hit
The Forum - 7 Feb 2006
...WAHPETON, ND– Ernest Garner knew it was risky to start a business
based on other people paying to play his video games.
That didn’t stop the 25-year-old entrepreneur from buying 135 Xbox
games and setting up a players’ haven in downtown Wahpeton complete
with video chairs and snacks.
Two months later, it’s not unusual for high school and college students
to be waiting in line at the new cool place to hang out.
The Arena is the second successful business Garner has launched in the past
two years. He also operates NLU, a computer retail store...
Vermillion eaters now eat in Vermillion
Journal - 1 Feb 2006
...VERMILLION, SD - While the numbers made sense, Monk had no site in mind.
Enter customer Jim Abbott, president of the University of South Dakota.
"The Honorable Jim Abbott was a customer on several Sundays in Newcastle.
One day he asked if we would look at having a cafe in Vermillion,"
Monk recalled. "We said sure, but we didn't know if one was available."
One was. Abbott had a downtown corner cafe site in mind. Better yet, he
owned the building which had featured a cafe called Marge's Place.
"We came and looked around and decided to come here," said Monk.
"It was a fairly simple decision."...
The DARS program was created at Miami in 1983 by a team of assistant deans
and faculty members, headed by consultant Jack Southard...
After its initial release at Miami, the university quickly began efforts
in licensing rights to other institutions beginning with the University
of Missouri, Ohio State University, Bowling Green State University and State
University System of Florida, Elwood said. Currently, Miami has approximately
280 clients in 33 different states and districts...
Another unique feature that adds to the allure for a prospective institution
choosing DARS is that each time a new feature is implemented, rather than
charging more for updates, DARS automatically inserts these changes for
all of clients.
"The fact that we aren't bogged down by shareholders or trying to
make money to reinvest, and the melting pot of features we offer really
set us apart from other independent degree audit vendors," Elwood said...
Laundry service gives disabled workers 'fresh start'
Miami Student - 27 Jan 2006
...OXFORD, OH - A new laundry service plans to move to Oxford soon that
will cater to Miami University students. Unique to the service is not only
the door-to-door pick up and delivery, but the employment opportunities
offered to physically and mentally disabled individuals.
Fresh Start Laundry is a cleaning service that picks up and delivers clothes
and also does dry cleaning and alterations. The original store opened during
July in Hamilton, but owners are working with Miami professors to bring
the service to Oxford...
New cafe, bookstore opens Shop to offer tarot readings, psychics, food, hypnotherapy
Miami Student - 27 Jan 2006
...OXFORD, OH - Stepping through the door of a small building on the corner
of Locust Street and Foxfire Drive, most customers would never guess that
a brewery was there a few months ago. Peaceful, ambient music plays softly
and literally thousands of glow-in the-dark stars, planets and comets line
the ceiling. Except for the daylight streaming through the windows of the
new Seven Sisters Bookstore, the café section would probably glow
like the moon...
Progressive-minded store a fit for Eugene An alternative clothing store opens near campus, selling clothes
made without using sweatshop labor
Daily Emerald - 9 Jan 2006
..EUGENE, OR - A company known for making all of its colorful knit clothing
in the U.S. without the use of sweatshops now occupies an often-vacant spot
on East 13th Avenue.
American Apparel moved to 860 E. 13th Ave. in mid-December. The company,
which already has two stores in Portland, was founded eight years ago as
a wholesale retailer, and has opened more than 100 stores worldwide in the
past two and a half years...
Bed
& Breakfast Opens In Historic Oxford Home
Oxford Press - 9 Dec 2005
...OXFORD, OH - Christine Adamow, who currently owns the property, took
on the tedious task when she bought the house nearly three years ago, transforming
it from a student rental into a cozy bed and breakfast.
“When I got here (the house) was in pretty bad shape,” she
said. “There was raw sewage coming down in the kitchen, and the plumbing
and electricity had been patched together. It was really quite substandard.”
Working with contractors, Adamow constructed an addition and managed to
restore many of the home’s original qualities. Designed during the
Arts and Crafts period, which revolved around architect Frank Lloyd Wright,
the prefabricated house was transported by boxcar before reaching Withrow
Street...
Coffee shop 101 Kofenya offers Oxford a place to sit and enjoy some joe
Enquirer - 20 Jan 2005
...OXFORD, OH - The owners of Kofenya, Nicole Ayres and Liz Snyder, are
both just 21 and still students at Miami University. They saw a business
opportunity in Oxford and established their coffee shop.
OXFORD - They're unlikely entrepreneurs, not just because they're students
but also because they're literature majors.
Yet when Miami University seniors Liz Snyder and Nicole Ayres opened Kofenya
in September, they had what they thought was a strong business plan: creation
of a place that matches students' tendency to hang out with their need for
caffeine.
Snyder and Ayres say they opened Kofenya because they liked the concept
of a coffeehouse where people could "relax, read or socialize in addition
to being able to buy beverages." The word means "café"
is Russian and is pronounced koh-fehn -yah.
The shop's owners wanted to create an informal atmosphere where all patrons
would feel welcome, including students, professors and local and out-of-town
residents...
Brand
U: doing business in a college town
Nation's Restaurant News - 26 Apr 1999
...USA - College towns have their own special atmosphere and rhythm: the
build-up to fall term, when students pile hack into town and faculty hurry
to assemble syllabi; the great emptying-out over the winter holidays; and
the restless, undulating swarms of undergraduates who pack the downtown
on weekends, lurching around the crowded streets looking for beer and company.
Running a restaurant against such a backdrop has its own peculiarities,
especially if an operator wants to cover himself in some of the glory --
athletic and otherwise -- conferred by O1' State. This can be tricky, and
depends on the town or city and the type of restaurant involved. An operator
can't expect all of those students, faculty and staff will beat a path to
his door the minute it swings open...
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