HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) – College students are back in Harrisonburg, bringing increased business to local restaurants.
Ron Copeland, owner of The Little Grill, said the restaurant tends to see a lot more faces during the school year.
“The students are sort of the cream on top, really,” Copeland said. “I think it’s the locals that are our bread and butter, but then when the students come back, we’re able to make a little more money and be a little more viable.”
Copeland said that during the week business is slower, but on weekends it’s a lot busier. He said the restaurant is unique and even though every student may have their own reasoning why they enjoy The Little Grill, he thinks it has a lot to do with the many years of dedicated and friendly service to the community.
“For me, when I walked in here as a freshman, I never looked back,” he said. “I loved it, and people just fall in love with it. I think it’s been a restaurant since 1940, cooking breakfast and making coffee every single day for 86 years, and there’s something about that that is really special.”
Louis Gibson, a waiter at The Little Grill, said he’s noticed an increase in traffic flow and in tips, especially during move-in week.
“I think the first weekend JMU was back, we made over $1,500 more than we did the weekend before, and so we’re definitely seeing that tip percentage,” Gibson said. “That’s great because we’re definitely working a lot harder to get parties out the door, get more people in, so it’s definitely paying off.”
For Gibson, it isn’t just the increase in business that excited him, “it’s all authenticity and great service, great food,” he said.
“Nothing about this place is fake or processed,” he said. “The servers are all authentic, have their own personality … and especially me, I strive in creating a connection, and that’s the most incredible part is like walking away from the shift, being like, ‘wow … I met so many new people.’”
Copeland encouraged the community to download The Little Grill’s app on Apple and Google’s app stores so customers can check the wait time and get on the wait list before they arrive.
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Dining and Cooking