Area businesses are feeling the impact of students coming back for the fall semester.
"We definitely have a parking problem," said Dorothy Rainosek, co-owner of Frontier Restaurant. "Business is good and up from the summer considerably, but people park here for class or to go buy a book on campus."
Frontier shares 175 parking spaces with other businesses such as Saggio's and Marc's Guitar Center.
Rainosek said the restaurant fines those who are not customers and park in the lot. The restaurant has also hired extra security guards to enforce parking restrictions.
"They mark the tires, and then a while later, mark them again," she said. "If they are still there later, we put cement blocks under the tires with chains so they have to come in and take care of it."
Rainosek said the parking situation is so bad the restaurant places an advertisement in the Daily Lobo requesting students walk, not drive, from campus.
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Because there is less parking for Frontier customers, Rainosek said prices will be affected as well.
"It is one of the reasons they go up," she said.
Area bars and nightclubs have also been hit negatively, simply because more students are staying home.
"When school starts, it gets kind of slow," said Robert Pallares, general manager of Sauce/Liquid lounge. "I think everyone is kind of serious at first, but when people start getting comfortable and start mingling it will pick up a little."
Pallares said everyone tends to do homework and try to get good grades in the beginning.
"Usually during the second semester, it will get a little crazier," he said.
While Sauce is still benefiting from the student crowd on the weekend, he said the start of school has taken a toll on business.
"I guess everyone is just trying to get an education," Pallares said.
Abraham Juarez, manager of Maloney's Tavern, said he has also noticed a decrease in numbers through the week.
"There is a significant difference on the weekdays, but on Friday and Saturday nights, it is like a whole new crowd," Juarez said. "Everyone is back in town returning from the break."
Juarez said he expects business to be back to normal about five weeks into the semester.
"Once they get in the swing of things and the classes start getting easier, they will start coming in through the week," he said.
Other businesses, though, are benefiting from the increase in business from student patrons.
Nick Casale, manager at Saggio's, said the start of school has had a positive impact on his restaurant.
"It always picks up in here when school starts up," he said, adding a considerable amount of customers are students.
Managers at the Nob Hill Starbucks, at 3400 Central S.E., said it is a little busier, but hardly noticeable.
