Greenville businesses feel impact of college students leaving
GREENVILLE, N.C. (WNCT) — Last week, thousands of Pirate graduates walked across the stage to receive their degrees and looking toward bright futures.
But, the time after graduation brings a darker and more immediate future for some of Greenville's more permanent residents.
The city of Greenville is in their own yearly edition of The Great Migration, as a majority of students make their way out of The Emerald City.
It's not just their books and bags their taking with them, for many downtown shops and restaurants, they take the business with them.
'You know, it's a college town,' Nash Hot Chicken Owner Ryan Griffin said. 'Our backdoor is ECU, so we kind of ebb and flow with the campus.'
'It really hurts us downtown. Everyone, we had a huge scene downtown with all of graduation and everything, but once the students leave, we just get nothing,' 5th Street Hardware Restaurant and Taproom Assistant Manager Adam Kenney said.
Because this is an annual thing, business owners like Griffin prepare ahead of time for the loss of traffic.
'We got some data now that we try to look at and see where the sales drop off, and what labor we can use to keep the doors open, but still keep customers having a good time,' Griffin said.
It isn't just customers that make their way out of town in the summer months. Many staffing positions open up and that's something Griffin said is inevitable in his line of work.
'Anything in the restaurant business is high turnover, especially in a college town,' Griffin said. 'A lot of our front house staffers, servers are college students, but we're used to that now so we have our college group that goes and then we have a couple good local people that stay through the summer and help us through all the hard times.'
The loss of personnel can hit some businesses harder than others. 'It's terrible. Just this year entirely, we just lost nine people on our staff because they're all graduating,' Kenney said.
Kenney said they are always posting job openings on social media. Griffin, Kenney and Owner of Sup Dogs and Crush Bret Oliviero said all said they're looking forward to the business boom when students come back.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Arkansas AG Says Police Arrested 16 Retail Theft Suspects in Crime Blitz
Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin said Monday that police in Jonesboro, Ark., arrested 16 people for alleged retail theft last week. According to the announcement, police said they pinpointed five additional retail crime suspects, who they did not arrest during this blitz. Among those arrested, the state brought 'more than 60 charges…about half of which were felony charges.' In Arkansas, suspects become eligible for a felony if they steal more than $1,000 worth of merchandise. The class of the felony is determined by how much the stolen merchandise is worth. More from Sourcing Journal New York's Retail Worker Safety Act Is Live California Law Enforcement and DAs Take On Retail, Cargo Thieves Nearly $4 Million in Stolen Cargo Recovered in LAPD Theft Bust According to the attorney general, other charges included drug possession, evidence tampering and forgery. The attorney general said impacted stores included two Walmart locations, two Walgreens stores, a Target, a Dollar Tree, a TJ Maxx, a HomeGoods, a Lowe's, a Home Depot, an Academy Sports, a Kohl's and a Burlington Coat Factory. Griffin said the operation is the latest example of the state's interest in combating retail crime, an issue that retailers consistently cite when discussing shrink. 'This operation shows our continued commitment to eradicating this type of crime in Arkansas. We are working with law enforcement agencies and private sector partners across the state to gather intelligence, arrest perpetrators, and ultimately hold bad actors accountable,' Griffin said in a statement. Arkansas, like other states, has recently worked to tighten its theft laws, even extending to cargo theft. Earlier this year, the state legislature passed a bill that would see cargo theftsters serving enhanced sentences if convicted. Another bill in the same retail crime package also created a framework to more robustly charge those involved in organized retail crime. Shannon Newton, president of the Arkansas Trucking Association, said at the time that the package would help disincentivize retail crime throughout the state. 'By recognizing that organized crime operates throughout the supply chain, from retail stores to transportation networks, this collaboration has produced meaningful legislation that will better protect Arkansas businesses and consumers. We remain committed to working with our partners to develop practical solutions to the challenges facing our industry,' Newton said in a statement in March. Griffin said in his Monday statement that the state has made organized retail crime a priority since 2023; since then, officers have recovered more than $600,000 in stolen merchandise and arrested 44 suspects. Late last month, his office announced that a retail crime suspect the state had been pursuing for several months would be charged with Class D felonies.'Sasha Rena Ziegler, 32, of Little Rock, surrendered Wednesday to the Little Rock Criminal Court after being at large on a warrant issued for her arrest. The warrant was the result of an investigation by my office into multiple incidents of organized retail crime at a Marshalls store in Little Rock. Ziegler has been charged with two counts of theft of property, Class D felonies,' Griffin said in a statement. The Jonesboro Police Department did not return Sourcing Journal's request for further information on the arrests and charges.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
No.1 Scheffler holds off Griffin to defend PGA Memorial title
World number one Scottie Scheffler of the United States defended his title at the PGA Tour's Memorial tournament (Michael Reaves) World number one Scottie Scheffler captured his 16th career PGA Tour victory on Sunday, joining Tiger Woods as the only players to defend titles at the Memorial tournament. The 28-year-old American took his third triumph in a month, firing a two-under par 70 to finish 72 holes on 10-under 278 at Muirfield Village in Dublin, Ohio. Advertisement American Ben Griffin, coming off a victory last week at Colonial, was four strokes back in second on 282 after shooting 73 with Austrian Sepp Straka third on 283, one stroke better than Canada's Nick Taylor. "It's always a hard week to play this tournament," Scheffler said. "I battled really hard over the weekend and Ben made things interesting down the stretch." The triumph marked the ninth consecutive time Scheffler has turned a 54-hole lead into a victory, this one coming at the event hosted by 18-time major winner Jack Nicklaus. "Overall it was a great week and definitely proud to be shaking Mr. Nicklaus's hand at the end of another good week," Scheffler said. Advertisement Scheffler won last month's PGA Championship at Quail Hollow for his third major crown after taking the CJ Cup Byron Nelson two weeks earlier. By winning his first 16 PGA titles in just under 3.5 years, Scheffler became the fourth-fastest to go from his first to 16th tour wins after Sam Snead, Nicklaus and Woods, a 15-time major winner who took the Memorial from 1999-2001. The victory marked the first defended title among the nine crowns Scheffler won worldwide last year, having edged compatriot Collin Morikawa by a stroke at the 2024 Memorial. It also ensured Scheffler will be seen as the man to beat in two weeks at the US Open at Oakmont, where Scheffler seeks a fourth career major victory and second in a row. Advertisement "This is definitely a golf course that's going to expose your weaknesses," Scheffler said of Muirfield Village. "I've got a few things I can practice on next week. Overall, it was a really solid week, did some really good battling." Scheffler sank a par putt from just inside 10 feet at the 14th hole and reached 10-under with a tap-in birdie at the par-five 15th. Griffin, however, reached the 15th green in two and sank a 12-foot eagle putt to pull within three strokes with three holes to play. Griffin then followed with a 27-foot birdie putt at the par-three 16th to pull within two of the lead. Advertisement Scheffler responded by dropping his approach at 17 just inside 20 feet on the way to a routine par while Griffin needed four shots to reach the 17th green on his way to a double bogey, falling four adrift. Scheffler closed out matters with a seven-foot birdie putt at 18. - Scheffler solid early - Scheffler, who began the day with a one-stroke lead, birdied the first six holes to keep his one stroke lead while Griffin stayed on his heels by answering bogeys at the first and par-three fourth holes with birdies at the second and par-five fifth. Scheffler left his third shot at the par-five seventh within four feet of the hole and sank the birdie putt to reach nine-under. Advertisement Scheffler curled in a par putt at the ninth from just inside nine feet to make the turn with a two-stroke lead, but missed a 12-footer for par at the 10th for a bogey that dropped his advantage to one shot once more. At the par-five 11th, Scheffler responded by blasting out of the rough to 14 feet and curling in the birdie putt to restore a two-stroke edge on nine-under. Griffin found a bunker on the way to a bogey at the par-three 12th and never found the fairway at 13 on the way to another bogey that left Scheffler ahead by four with five holes remaining. js/sev
USA Today
2 days ago
- USA Today
10 things to know about Ben Griffin, including his stint as a mortgage loan officer
10 things to know about Ben Griffin, including his stint as a mortgage loan officer Ben Griffin is on a serious heater. Unless you're a golf fan that has been living under a rock for the last month, you probably know that he's won twice – Zurich Classic of New Orleans with Andrew Novak and the Charles Schwab Challenge – and finished T-8 at the PGA Championship, his best result In a major. He enters the final round of the Memorial in Dublin, Ohio, one stroke back of Scottie Scheffler and suddenly he is looking like a serious contender for the U.S. Ryder Cup team. That's one of the many good reasons why it's about time you get to know Griffin. Mortgage-loan officer stint Griffin, 28, is best known for stepping away from his career as a professional golfer to become a mortgage loan officer in his native North Carolina. 'I'd lost my motivation and love for golf. The stress of playing with $15,000 of credit-card debt was agony, so I quit,' he told Golf Digest. But he resurrected his career in 2021 and has banked more than $11 million in 94 Tour starts. 'It provided me with a reset button,' Griffin tellsGolfweek. 'Doing something completely different is good for getting a fresh headspace.' Traveled the junior golf circuit solo Griffin grew up playing golf with his dad and grandpa. By the time he was 16, he was driving to tournaments solo and staying in hotels because both of his parents were working. 'I'd tell the front desk, 'Look, my dad is coming to check us in, don't worry. He's on a call and running behind. I just need a room key.' It worked every time.' Bleeds Tarheel Blue Both his parents went to the University of North Carolina and he grew up in Chapel Hill, practicing at the University of North Carolina Finley Golf Course. Once he started going to college there, his teammates complained that qualifying wasn't fair. 'I knew every break on those greens,' he said. 'It was a very easy transition for me.' Get rid of the yardage book Griffin suggests an unique solution for slow play – allow rangefinders (which the Tour is currently testing) but ban the yardage book. 'I think it would actually speed up play. Play the course how it looks. I know it's old school but do that and make it new school with a rangefinder,' he said. Maxfli Man A year ago, Griffin was testing golf balls. His caddie suggested he try Maxfli, the once popular brand in the 1970s and '80s, which has become a Dick's Sporting Goods house brand. He'd never used it before. 'I was shocked by the ball speed numbers,' he said. Griffin said he gained 2 miles per hour off the tee without sacrificing anything from a spin standpoint. He began using it in Tour events before he negotiated a deal to represent the brand. The story behind his Aviator-style sunglasses Like Corey Hart in the '80s classic song, Griffin doesn't wear his sunglasses at night but he's been wearing sunglasses on the course since the 2024 RBC Canadian Open last June, where he finished second, due to seeing floaters. Since that first week with a designer knockoff brand he happened to have in his bag, he's relied on U Swing sunglasses. 'It hasn't affected my vision – I still see floaters – but they darken things and make the floaters less defined,' he said. 'I think they also help me with reading greens and seeing slopes better.' For the full story on why he Venmo-ed $20 to pro CT Pan for the pair he wears, click here. The genesis of his lethal short game After winning the Charles Schwab Challenge in May thanks to an assortment of tidy up and downs, Griffin was asked how he developed such a reliable short game. His eyes watered and his voice cracked as he explained how his parents endured some tough times financially during the 2008 recession. Griffin's family had to downsize their home and give up the country club membership. There wasn't much money to spend on golf, let alone range balls. But his parents made sure there was a public golf course for him to use. "I would chip and putt all day," he said. "I would hit maybe a half bucket of balls for $5 or whatever it was, and my parents, they always considered themselves middle to upper class, but I knew there for a little bit when we lost our house, when we lost everything. I know they sacrificed a lot for me." The silver lining for Griffin? He became a short-game magician. He appreciates a good lawn Griffin moved last month from St. Simons Island, Ga., to Jupiter, Florida, and one of the benefits will be having a lawn in his backyard, where as a kid he liked to do some chipping. Griffin has a sponsorship deal with TruGreen, an official PGA Tour partner, and participated in the brand's marketing campaign alongside Patton Kizzire and Jason Day. "It was a very Hollywood experience," said Griffin, who is looking forward to getting the full TruGreen experience at his new pad. "I trust myself on a course, I've got to trust them with my lawn." Lifestyle change Griffin stopped drinking alcohol during the season and adopted a vegan diet at the suggestion of his girlfriend. 'Some people treat food like entertainment, but food is fuel. I eat for energy. Research says veganism helps with inflammation. I've never felt better,' he told Golf Digest. 'I needed to stop drinking during the season. I didn't have a drinking problem, but I was drinking like I was still in college. When you drink consistently, you think you feel good, but you don't. Now I feel incredible.' Distance gain is for real Griffin not only dropped the booze but started taking creatine. 'You still got to work really hard. I'm doing it more from the standpoint of muscle recovery, gaining muscle mass. You still have to work out if you're going to gain strength. It's not like the supplement is going to fix everything,' he said. 'But I would say on Tour probably 60 or 70 percent of guys are taking that substance." It's working. He's averaging 176 mph ball speed this year, up from 172 in 2024, and has gained about 17 yards off the tee. "The last three, four months, I really kind of locked in on that, trying to gain speed -- trying to still maintain flexibility and mobility. I mean, it's important. I'm on the road every week, I'm flying, I'm driving cars, none of it is good for my body. "My kind of goal has been to swing harder, get, like, a mile-per-hour faster or so every week or two. And I've just been on this nice trajectory right now. I'm trying not to push it too much, but definitely conscious of trying to hit it a little bit further. And I think I swing better when I hit it harder. It's weird, I feel like when I'm swinging hard I'm actually like hitting it kind of straighter. It's funky. Golf's a weird sport, but here I am. I guess I'm an athlete now," he said. Griffin pointed out that it was his hard work in the gym and not creatine, which has keyed his new-found length off the tee. 'I'm taking a bunch of different things. I passed my last drug test. I'm not doing anything illegal here from two weeks ago. I'm just trying to do the right things to take care of my body," he said. "I'm working out harder than I ever have, so I got to make sure I'm consuming a lot of protein. And, yeah, I feel like I'm doing the right things, just got to keep plugging along, and I'll keep taking creatine.'
