Rain or shine, Alex Mali serves up falafel and lemonade to hungry students off the corner of E. 13th Avenue and Kincaid Street. Mali is one of the many local businesses that benefit from a prime location near the University.
“I take a vacation when (students) take a vacation,” said Mali.
It’s the 125th anniversary of the University this year, and some vendors have been around nearly as long as the school itself. Students are a great way for businesses to build new clientele, business owners say, and some locations wouldn’t be around if the University wasn’t here.
One of the oldest businesses near campus is the Campus Shoe Shop. The owner, Jerry Martin, estimates that the place has been around for at least 85 years. It was built as a shoe shop then divided in half to make room for a shoeshine service, Martin said. He’s been the owner of the store for 15 years and has since converted the shine shop into a juice bar.
Much of their business is due to student demand, and they probably wouldn’t be open without the University’s presence, said Martin. As it is, their summer business suffers when students leave town.
“We slow down (in the summer), probably lose about a third of our business,” he said.
Another longtime resident of E. 13th Avenue is the Campus Barber Shop. It was designed specifically to be a barber shop and opened in 1922, said owner Penny Berry. So how much of Berry’s business depends on students?
“We are called the campus barber shop,” she said. She has been the owner for 12 years, and although summertime brings less student customers, she said it’s been getting better every year.
“There’s lots of traffic out here, more people walking by,” Berry said.
Most businesses on E. 13th Avenue are substantially younger than the barber shop. Starbucks is only 4 years old, and before it was there the building had always been home to a tavern or restaurant, said Susan Miller, director of publications and information systems for the Eugene area Chamber of Commerce. She attended the University from 1969 to 1974 and remembers many businesses that used to be near campus.
“Businesses reflect a lot about what goes on at the time,” Miller said. “But I think some of the businesses would still exist if the University wasn’t there. They get some (customers) from the hospital.”
Some businesses now on E. 13th Avenue used to be entirely different.
“Rumor has it that there was a gay bar called Cassidy’s at this location,” said Campus Copy Shop owner Steve Jarvis. The copy shop has been there for about 15 years and used to be located next door, Jarvis said.
West Moon Trading Company’s location used to be occupied by The Coffee People. That was just six years ago, and before that, the spot was a Kaufman’s clothing store, said West Moon owner Peggi Bosworth. She said that West Moon started out where Face the Music used to be, but has since expanded to include the current location. Face the Music has since moved farther down the street.
The Blue Heron bicycle shop replaced a yogurt shop back in 1984, said owner Susan Kelly.
“There was a running store before that,” Kelly said.
Kelly said the Blue Heron is able to stay busy all year round even when school isn’t in session.
“In summer there’s just more ridership in general. We never really see a downturn in business except for Christmas time,” she said.
The Red Rooster Barber Shop also does okay when students are gone, according to Pete Peterson, who has owned the business for 32 years.
“In the summertime we stay busy; when school is on, we go ridiculous,” he said.
The University has brought life to local businesses for 125 years. And most remain open, for the most part, because of students at the University.
“I really, really enjoy doing what I’m doing because I really, really like the students,” Mali said.
Brook Reinhard is a community reporter for the Oregon Daily Emerald. He can be reached at [email protected].