When school is in session, local businesses boom with new customers. The opposite occurs to establishments when the majority of students return home for summer break.

“Business normally slows down during this time of the year whether it pertains to restaurants, rental or retail establishments,” said economics professor Khan Mohabbat.

With many students leaving, less patrons are in the area, and business declines.

Lukulos owner Pete Matarangas said that business slows during the summer months in comparison with the fall and spring seasons. He said this is a direct result of students leaving for summer break.

“It’s about a 30-percent drop [in business over the summer],” Matarangas said.

Mohabbat said some establishments may feel the burden of less customers more than others.

“The impact is much greater on the high-end restaurants and small retail shops during an economic downturn,” Mohabbat said.

Some believe that with the current economic situation, more students will be enrolling in summer classes.

“Despite all the gloom, many establishments look forward to summer classes when students come back to DeKalb,” Mohabbat said. “As a rule during a depression, most students do not find satisfactory jobs, thus the continuation of education becomes a strong alternative.”

Brent Gage, assistant vice provost for enrollment services, said that less students enroll in summer sessions at NIU than in the fall or spring.

“Our summer [class] offerings are not even close to the offerings during the spring and fall semesters,” Gage said.

Total enrollment during the summer hovers just around 9,000, dipping as low as 8,500 or as high 9,300, Gage said. These figures pale in comparison to the enrollment numbers of the fall and spring semesters.

While some students leave for the summer, the local patrons remain.

“I have about 30 to 40 percent town business,” Matarangas said.