The interaction of the University of Denver community and its surrounding businesses is a cooperative relationship.
Businesses in the immediate neighborhood of the DU campus rely on the patronage of the university’s students and faculty.
“DU students have helped us in the past and continue to help us,” said Ziyad Wahdan, manager of Jerusalem Restaurant on High Street and Evans Avenue. “Because we are so close to campus, we get a lot of foot traffic from students.”
Similarly, students at DU rely on these retail stores and restaurants for their off-campus dining and purchasing desires.
“When I want to eat off-campus, I usually go to Chipotle and Tokyo Joe’s because they are healthy, and they’re convenient,” said DU senior Conor Swanson. “Even though I have a car, it is sometimes easier and more enjoyable to walk.”
Owning a business located right off campus generates business for reasons that are sometimes as simple as convenience.
“I would have never gone to Jerusalem [Restaurant],” said junior Kristin Funke. “But every time that I would drive by I would look at it and wonder if it was good. I finally went because it is just right down the street from my house.”
Overall, students have a respectful relationship with business owners in the area.
At Pete’s University CafCB) on University Boulevard and Evans Avenue, the first thing a patron sees when walking into the restaurant is a sign that reads, “WARNING: if you are grouchy, irritable, or just mean, there will be a $20.00 charge just for putting up with you.” However, according to manager Carol Sorita, the sign is just a joke.
“Most of the students behave themselves nicely,” said Sorita. “We have been here for eight years and we think the neighborhood is wonderful.”
Down the sidewalk from Pete’s, the Christian Science Reading Room relies on the students for patronage. Pat Suttles, the librarian, said that the relationship with the Iliff School of Theology is convenient for both the students and the Reading Room, a type of library where students and faculty can come and read contemporary journalism about the Christian religion.
“We moved to this location because it is close enough to the university for the students to come and use our resources,” said Suttles. “We love it when the students come to our library.”
The businesses understand that the relationship with DU’s students is give-and-take. They depend on the students for their business and word of mouth advertising. Junior Nora Kuegemann said that she has patronized such establishments as the Lazy Palm based on the recommendations of other students.
“I would not usually have gone there,” Kuegemann said. “But I have no time to go far off campus and friends recommended it.”
The other perspective is that of the business owners and managers. The history of the healthy relationship between Jerusalem Restaurant and DU students is based on their mutual dependence on each other, according to Wahdan.
“We depend on [the students] a lot, so we try to cater to their needs,” said Wahdan. “We make the food affordable for students and stay open late when none of the other restaurants do. And they buy our food. This is our way of working with them; it is a win-win situation.”
