With a student population of more than 13,000, ETSU students represent an important demographic that infuses a lot of cash into Johnson City area businesses. ETSU students like roommates Cara Copeland and Hannah Audia, have shifted their consumer gears from spend to save.
“We don’t usually order out anymore, and now that it [the recession] is going on, it makes us not want to order out,” Copeland stated. This is the sentiment that businesses are facing.
When the burn of recession penetrates students’ pockets to this extent, businesses see red at the bank. Even as an economic slump turns into a full-out financial freefall, some companies are taking strides to accommodate students’ budgets and hold on to their clientele.
Mike Estep manages the Papa John’s restaurant on West Walnut Street, and can attest to the fact that student business is an important – and profitable – factor, “We get a pretty good deal of business from ETSU, from students and faculty,” he said
Estep has been with the company for 15 years. His title comes with the responsibility of bringing in the business and keeping it steady. Estep has been creative in his “glass-half-full” approach to the economy. When business started slowing down last month, Estep launched a Buy One Get One Free Special for one week in March, exclusive to the West Walnut location.
“We tried to think outside the box to bring in business,” he said. The special generated incredible consumer response, and the results resonated in the sound of the store’s ringing phones.
Estep’s testimony is proof that when the going gets tough, the tough get innovative – a formula that has worked for the company, which has demonstrated its staying power for more than 20 years.
The Johnson City Papa John’s location continues to consider student budgets with a permanent deal marketed especially to the students.
The ETSU special, a large one-topping for $6.99, available to any student with a school ID, is a popular deal amongst students. It’s been a mainstay of the menu for years. The store advertises the special with flyers on campus at the beginning of every school year.
With over a decade of experience in the pizza business, Estep is no stranger to fluctuations in spending patterns. He believes that good service and affordable specials are the remedy to slow business.
“I’m already seeing a change in business,” Estep said. While the current economic climate yields a forecast of cloudy skies, Estep believes that consumer spending trends will change for the better.

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