Pizza sales surge with return of Southeast students

The return of students to Southeast Missouri State University means many things to many people. Faculty return to the classroom. Motorists are faced with more traffic around town. Business picks up in stores and restaurants across the region.

The latter is particularly true with pizza joints, which once again are being called to cater to student clientele.

“We definitely see an increase in sales when school is in,” Chris Sautter, assistant manager at Marco’s Pizza, said. Sautter estimated a 15 percent increase in sales since school began, with the expectation of additional increases as the semester progresses.

On the other side of campus, business is booming, too. Danny Lynn of Lynn Enterprises, the company that owns Domino’s on Sprigg Street, said he has seen an increase since the students returned.

“I can’t reveal the exact numbers,” Lynn said, “but it’s a boost to our campus store, for sure.”

It’s the delivery end of business that’s particularly surged.

“There’s been a net increase in sales and it’s all thanks to delivery,” said Chance Petiniot, general manager of the Pizza Hut on Kingshighway.

During the summer, he said, delivery sales drop, and dine-in sales rise, but once school is back in session, the opposite is true.

But restaurants that don’t offer delivery also report improved sales.

Angela Grippo of Mario and Angela’s Italian Cucina said there has been an increase in her sales in her store as well.

Some restaurants, such as Domino’s, have increased their staff in preparation for the increased sales. Lynn said he hired four or five more workers in recent weeks. Petiniot, on the other hand, has kept his staff relatively stable.

“We have a pretty set, solid crew,” he said.

The increase is expected to carry through to the holidays, where it inevitably will decline.

“It peaks around Christmastime,” Sautter said, and when the students come back, they are often conscientious of their spending.

“But you have anomalies like snow days, which are our busiest days,” Sautter said.

“You can see the drop-off around the holidays,” Lynn said, but she said otherwise it stays pretty steady, particularly when football games keep more students in town over the weekends.

Ultimately, restaurant owners are glad to see the students back in town, and look forward to serving them throughout the semester.

“You can definitely tell there’s a different vibe in town when students are in,” Lynn said. “It just seems like it’s a bigger city, and they add a lot to the community.”

bbrown@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3630