Local businesses adjust for summer

Though UCLA’s crowds of students are gone for the summer,
many Westwood store owners said the ones who stay for summer
school, jobs and research are enough to keep business in the
Village going strong.

“There’s a pretty decent population of college
students, so Westwood isn’t completely abandoned,” said
Phil Gabriel, owner of Scrubs Unlimited on Weyburn Avenue.

Gabriel added that this summer, more stores seem to have
developed and adjusted their business strategies to withstand
summer sales drops than they have in the past.

Some business owners say that the drop in sales during the
summer happens annually and is an expected part of the Westwood
economy.

“The lower sales is part of the business cycle,”
said John Kim, owner of Boba Loca on Weyburn Avenue.

Businesses look not just at seasonal sales but at annual sales
as a whole, and part of running a shop involves planning for
anticipated drops in sales at certain points of the year, including
the slight summer decline, he said.

Though the summer brings in less business than usual, he said
the lessened sales are made up at the start of the school year,
which brings an influx of students.

Kenny Lin, a third-year psychobiology student, said that for
students who stay at UCLA year-round, Westwood is an important
resource.

“I go down to Westwood whenever I need to buy new supplies
for my room, especially since I can’t always go home to get
stuff,” Lin said.

Still, some stores adjust their strategies to ensure continuing
business during the summer.

Amileo Morales, owner of Marvin’s Diner on Weyburn Avenue,
said his store has not suffered significantly since the beginning
of summer, but has established store policies to maximize
businesses, even when students are away for the summer.

Part of what has contributed to the diner’s success are
its late-night hours, delivery service and inexpensive food options
that attract low-budget college students, he said.

“Students generally don’t have that much money, and
just as they go to In-N-Out because it’s not too expensive
there, they come here for the low-cost food,” Morales
said.

The diner closes between midnight and 1 a.m. daily, and it also
delivers to nearby addresses for those who do not want to make the
walk to the restaurant.

Other stores try to cater to the non-student population so their
clientele does not disappear when the school year ends.

Marvin’s Diner draws in many non-students, including
hospital employees, who work and live in Westwood regardless of the
academic calendar, Morales said.

But Timothy Almazan, a third-year English student, said he
thinks students will continue to frequent Westwood businesses for
fun.

“Westwood is always great to visit because there are
restaurants with good food within walking distance,” Almazan
said.

Gabriel said he also thinks Westwood does not lose its college-
town atmosphere even during the summer when fewer students are
around.

“It’s a college town year-round. This is home for a
lot of people,” Gabriel said.