SYRACUSE, NY – For the first time in 2 years at Syracuse University, parents will formally return for Parents Weekend. There hasn’t been a parents weekend in Syracuse since 2019, before the COVID-19 Pandemic.
With the return of Parents Weekend, a lot of different things are going to be affected. One of these – businesses on the well-known Marshall Street.
Parents haven’t been on campus for a while like this, and they are going to want to get back to the places that they haven’t been in a while, and for some parents, for the first time.
Businesses have to be anticipating the business. Varsity Pizza is doing just that.
“Because a parent hasn’t been able to come up… you know… at all. And if you have a freshman and that freshman is your first child going to college, you’re going to parents weekend,” says co-owner Jerry Dellas.
Dellas co-owns the restaurant with his cousin. Varsity being the prestigious restaurant with the very traditional menu that anyone that has been there, many people who have heard about it will want to try it.
It’s not just restaurants on Marshall Street, either. Other places that are very well known will pick up decent crowds this weekend.
Manny’s is one of those. About half way down Marshall Street is where you’ll find the SU merchandise retailer.
“It’s gonna be very busy. It’s gonna be similar to what opening weekend was when all of the parents bring their students back up,” Mike Theiss, the general manager of Manny’s says.
The stores and restaurants are ready for a widened audience this weekend.
Parents weekend is back, and hopefully is another step in the right direction back to normalcy for our world.
(MATT)
Syracuse University is hosting its first Parents Weekend since 2019 due to the COIVD-19 Pandemic… Something most likely on Parents lists for this weekend…. A trip to Marshall Street, just down the road from the University…
Manny’s, a SU merchandise store, is normally busy, but according to General Manager Mike Theiss, Parents weekend is usually one of their busiest weekends of the fall…
(MIKE THEISS, MANNY’S GENERAL MANAGER)
“It’s gonna be very busy… It’s gonna be similar to what opening weekend was when all of the parents bring their students back up…”
(MATT)
But Manny’s is just one of many businesses on the very popular Marshall Street… Varsity Pizza is another that is well-known… Co-Owner Jerry Dellas is expecting a good turnout of SU parents to be in town this weekend…
(JERRY DELLAS, VARSITY PIZZA CO-OWNER)
“Because a parent hasn’t been able to come up… you know… at all. And if you have a freshman and that freshman is your first child going to college… youre going to parents weekend.”
(MATT)
Dellas is expecting it to be a stressful weekend…
(JERRY DELLAS, VARSITY PIZZA CO-OWNER)
“If I had a fully staffed restaurant it’d be a lot easier to work it and enjoy it”
(MATT)
Theiss also adds that he doesn’t see any reason to have sales or incentives to buy on a weekend like this…
(MIKE THEISS, MANNY’S GENERAL MANAGER)
“Nothing special in terms of sales or anything special like that it’s such a busy weekend its not really necessary”
(STANDUP)
These Marshall Street staples will be open all weekend as they expect good business with SU parents coming in and out… Reporting from Marshall Street in Syracuse… Matt Zumbolo… NCC News…
