Students leaving town for winter break slowed some businesses and left others operating as usual.

“We kept normal hours,” said Lee Blankenship, manager at the Village Commons Bookstore, 901 Lucinda Ave. “Though we didn’t have a lot of customers, we were extremely busy converting our inventory from fall to spring semester. It is easier to go from spring to fall because we have all that time over the summer. Three weeks for winter break almost isn’t enough time for us, but we get it all done.”

While the VCB was spring-cleaning, Papa John’s Pizza, 725 N. 1st St., continued working with a depleted staff.

“I wasn’t here,” said shift manager Devon Stewart. “Over half the staff is made up of college students, and all of us were gone over break.”

Students in turn were affected by the time they spent away from their local jobs.

“I had no idea that not getting that check from McDonald’s was going to leave me terribly broke for the holidays,” said Fredrika Stark, a freshman early childhood education major.

Harold’s Chicken Shack, 901 Lucinda Ave., took winter break off from an intense schedule. On regular weekends, Harold’s is open until between 1 and 2 a.m.

“Without the students coming in every day, staying open over the break is just a waste of gas and electricity,” said owner Patricia Anderson. “Without the students, it’s not worth opening.”

Such was the situation in NIU residence halls, where food options got thinner as break neared.

“We purposely run out of food at the very end so nothing is wasted,” said Brian Smith, unit manager at Lincoln Residence Hall. “We come back the first week in January to claim the orders we made. The other [dining halls] might have done more to attract more customers. We were closed, but the Trident and The Corner were open for the students that stayed on campus.”

Local businesses must deal with the seasonal slow-down every year, and have managed.

“Papa John’s did well with the limited amount of staff,” Stewart said.