TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Businesses along University Boulevard, one of the main commercial streets near the University of Arizona, are feeling the effects of the summer slowdown — but their outlooks vary heading into fall.
Danny Mannheim has owned Espresso Art Cafe since 2004, with coffee at the center of his sales. While business has always slowed in the summer and picked back up when students return, Mannheim said recent years have been different.
"What is different in the last few years is the foot traffic on the street is way way down from what it used to be," Mannheim said.
Mannheim said he pays about $47 a square foot per month, which comes out to nearly $100,000 a month in rent. His sales are down 40% in the summer.
"Our rent is literally insane," Mannheim said.
"I don't know how other people survive here," Mannheim said.
Just down the street, a newcomer is taking a different approach. Jose Esperon soft launched his Greek frozen yogurt shop last month, drawing about 200 people on opening day and a steady stream of customers since.
"We actually were not expecting the demand that we had," Esperon said.
Esperon expects those numbers to double — if not triple — once students return to class late next month.
"We wanted to perfect the operation and to correct any issues we've had," Esperon said.
While shops like Espresso Art Cafe say they are still seeing less foot traffic than in previous years even during the fall and spring semesters, Mannheim said he remains thankful for the events held throughout the year that help keep the business going.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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