Summer Slows Business, or Does It? Some Merchants Weigh the Impact

Matthew Hersh

As the students leave town, and as residents begin to make plans for summer getaways, it could be said that summer turns the economy into something as slow as molasses in January.

But as the town, once a horse carriage stop between New York City and Philadelphia, becomes more and more of a destination point, summer in Princeton, while marking a slight slowdown, doesn't represent the loss of business that can be associated with summer.

"The focus is starting to shift away from hot chocolate and back to ice cream," said Gabrielle Carbone, whose business, The Bent Spoon, on Palmer Square West, booms in the summers, as does the business of its counterparts, Thomas Sweet Ice Cream on Nassau Street, and Halo Pub on Hulfish Street, where long lines can be spotted on sultry summer evenings from around May through September.

"It's like everyone turns on the ice cream switch," Ms. Carbone said, adding that the busy times are after dinner in the late week and weekends, but that mid-afternoon "treats" were not uncommon. "It gets people through the rest of their day," she said.

That steady flow of summertime business in Princeton is not uncommon, according to David Newton, vice president of Palmer Square Management, who said that while cash flow tends to drop off "a bit" in July and August, having the University out of session does not "seem to affect business too much.

"Summers are better than years past, the town is more year-round, more diverse, and has more to offer, so it does attract people," he said.

Even stores that typically cater to more of a winter crowd have to make adjustments, and often are able to do it successfully. Henry Landau of Landau's, the Nassau Street establishment specializing in woolens, explains how his store adjusts for the summertime crowd:

"There are three groups of people: one group is the tourists that are in town that are looking for Einstein; there are any number of sports camps at the University; and the parents and kids who are looking for 'Princeton' merchandise.

Mr. Landau was referring to the store's year-round Einstein exhibit in the rear of the store where there is a guest book that offers a good, non-scientific survey of who is in town over the summer: travellers from around the globe. "It's very interesting to see where people are from," he said.

"I can remember when my father was in business that Wednesday at one o'clock, everybody in town closed: this town was dead. Now, there's people.

"Princeton is a place that if you're in a car, you've heard about and you stop just to wander," he said. "This is a central point that everyone can get to."

With the summer, there's the "good and the bad," according to Kristin Appelget, president and CEO of the Princeton Regional Chamber of Commerce. For those residents who do stay in town through the season, suddenly the stores are less crowded. She said residents frequently tell her that they stay away during busy times like Princeton University's Reunions weekend.

"The minute that that all slows down, those locals can come back into town and not have to stand in a mile-long line at Small World [Coffee] and wait in line at Ricky's [Candy, Cones & Chaos].

"But it is slower," she added.

Retail aside, Princeton is a "vital destination" when it comes to entertainment. Ms. Appelget said people will stop by the Chamber office for guides to performances, or how to get to destinations like the Princeton University Art Museum and Historic Morven.

"It's a good opportunity for a lot of the restaurants and shops to capture some people who are coming into town for an event," she said.

While it is difficult to quantify specific dollar amounts, Ms. Appelget said the primary demographic that comes in the Chamber's headquarters on Vandeventer Avenue consists of parents travelling with children looking at colleges, followed by, surprisingly, the "historic travellers," going cross-country visiting the homes of presidents. "We see a lot of people coming to Princeton because of Grover Cleveland. We see it all the time."

Stemming from that historical element, Ms. Appelget said that Princeton's proximity to some significant Revolutionary and Civil War battlefields also brings the history-oriented traveller to the area.

Ms. Appelget referred to the Historic Society of Princeton's upcoming fall exhibit, "Presidents in Princeton," as an indication of not only local, but national, interest in Princeton's history.

But what about businesses that don't rely on either the historic element or seasonal fare? Iano's Rosticceria on Nassau Street doesn't have that particular worry. Pizza, it turns out, is a year-round business.

"Everybody thinks that 'oh, the summertime, now you guys are dead,' but right now, we're busy," said owner Iano Conigliaro, adding that nights have cooled off a bit, but he has not lost his lunch crowd, echoing the news from other pizza parlors in town, including Mossimo's Pizza, Old World Pizza, Pizza Star, and Conte's

"Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, we're busy with the people that come into town." But weather is a factor: "If it's beautiful outside, you see people, but if it rains, you don't see anybody because nobody wants to be outside."

Mr. Conigliaro admitted that students make up a good portion of his clientele, but said that even after Reunions weekend concluded, business was "still steady."

So, in line with the weather, it appears that Princeton's commercial climate won't be cooling off anytime soon.