“Been down, isn’t it a pity, doesn’t seem to be a shadow in the city / All around people looking half dead; walking on the sidewalk, hotter than a match head.”

The first verse of The Lovin’ Spoonful’s “Summer in the City” could be playing on a loop at any number of businesses in DeKalb during the summer.

Around 5 p.m. on a weekday, Huskie’s Pizza, 850 Pappas Drive, has all its chairs on tables and its two front doors wide open. A soft breeze whirls inside as Brian Davies, the assistant manager, is mopping the floor. A cook relaxes, waiting for any sign of a customer.

With the exodus of NIU students from DeKalb every May through August, businesses near campus must be ready for the slowdown that comes with it.

The almost 11-month-old pizzeria is experiencing its first summer in a college town, and Davies has seen a significant decrease in customers. Huskie’s is seeing about a 75 percent drop in attendance, he said.

Expecting a summer slump, and because a number of its staff was leaving for break, management decided to reduce the 20-person staff to five and cut hours. Huskie’s was open 100 hours per week during the school year, but will only be open 39 hours per week during the summer.

Businesses all around campus are seeing a decline in customers.

“We miss our students,” said Mohammed Labadi, owner of Aromas Hookah Bar, 811 W. Lincoln Highway. “It’s not death, but there is a big drop.”

Like Huskie’s, Aromas has cut its hours trying to offset the expenses from smaller crowds. Labadi said there is about one-third the amount of customers in his bar during the summer.

On Board Games, which is next to Aromas on 811 W. Lincoln Highway, is another business dealing with the summer slump.

Owner John Clemens said only about half the number of people frequent his store now, compared to when school is in session.

Last year Clemens experimented with reduced hours, but found it lowered the number of customers even more.

“It’s good we didn’t change our hours because our customers were used to them, so it helped us to be consistent,” Clemens said.

Local businesses are not the only ones struggling to maintain consistent customers throughout summer. Jimmy Johns Gourmet Sandwiches, 1011 W. Hillcrest Drive, stays consistently busy during the daytime hours, but begins to slow down as the sun sets.

“We’re dead at night,” said supervisor Sean Parazaider.

He said during the day the restaurant is just as busy as during the school year, but the customers are an older crowd. With no college students around at night, the reduced staff just has to wait until closing.

The absence of students, however, does not affect all businesses equally. Brian White, manager at Fatty’s Pub and Grill, 1312 W. Lincoln Highway, said there is only a small decrease in business later in the day.

“The lunch crowd is about the same, but there’s a small slowdown at night,” White said.

Despite the fact that nights are less busy during the summer, Fatty’s leaves the kitchen open for an extra hour during the summer. White said it is a summer tradition.

Though the next two month’s profit is going to be lower, the week before school begins will swing the pendulum the other way for some businesses.

Restaurants like Huskie’s Pizza and Jimmy Johns are expecting an increase in customers as the school year approaches, particularly because the increase of people as a result of orientation.

Labadi expects an influx of students as soon as they get settled in and look for a place to unwind.

Clemens predicts On Board Games will see an increase a couple of weeks before school begins by students who do not live in dorms.

“They want to get some fun in before school starts,” Clemens said.

Like the tide, the summer doldrums for local businesses in a college town is predictable and expected.

“Why fight it?” Clemens said.