DeKALB | Upon returning to school this semester, NIU students were greeted by a myriad of new commercial chain restaurants on Lincoln Highway: Starbucks, 1015 W. Lincoln Highway, Chipotle Mexican Grill, 1013A W. Lincoln Highway, Panda Express, 1015 W. Lincoln Highway and KFC/Long John Silvers, 1115 W. Lincoln Highway.

While students revel in more options for how to spend their Huskie Bucks, others are concerned for the welfare of privately-owned restaurants, or “mom and pop” stores, that have long been staples of DeKalb.

New restaurants like Starbucks and Chipotle can be seen as competitors with local eateries such as Java 101, 901 Lucinda Ave., and Burritoville, 1026 W. Hillcrest Drive. These stores, however, don’t seem to be worried about a decrease in business.

Java 101 owner Michael Fitzgerald said Starbucks and his shop are as comparable as apples and oranges.

“They have a different thing over there, and if anything, it makes my business better,” Fitzgerald said. “My thing is different here with the live music. I offer people an alternative to the bar scene.”

Starbucks seems to agree with Fitzgerald’s views.

“There’s always going to be local spots that people go to and hang out at,” said Starbucks manager Patricia Heaton. “We’re not here to change that.”

In the past, DeKalb has welcomed numerous commercial chains to the long list of eateries. Local restaurants, however, seem to still be going strong. Pizza Pros, 928 W. Lincoln Highway, has served DeKalb patrons for the last 15 years despite the addition of pizza chains like Papa John’s, 203 W. Lincoln Highway. and Pizza Hut, 701 W. Lincoln Highway.

“The base of customers we have are pretty loyal to us,” said Pizza Pros manager Robert Schlecht. “We’ve seen an increase almost every year since we’ve opened so that’s building our county base.”

Although locally-owned eateries claim to have a strong, loyal clientele, every year they work to gain the business of incoming freshmen who might otherwise flock to familiar places.

“The chains are always going to get the freshman business, [however] our business isn’t based on making sure we get those freshmen,” Schlecht said. “We’re based already. We do eventually get them two or three years down the line.”

Herminia Irizarry is a City Reporter for the Northern Star.