The influx of thousands of SUNY Cortland students will invigorate the Veracruzana Mexican restaurant, and owner Moises Guevara said he’s eager to fill their orders.
Construction didn’t hinder students in the spring, and Guevara predicts the fall won’t be any different.
Guevara started the business, at Main and Port Watson streets, in March. The restaurant was still finding its footing when students left in May.
“We’re ready for them now, we had some experience in the spring.” Guevara said Friday in his restaurant, a pair of workers prepping ingredients for the day’s shift, whisks scraping the sides of mixing bowls.
Even though the restaurant had just opened, students gave Veracruzana an early jolt, he said. Now Guevara hopes for another, longer hot streak to make up for the slow summer, as now he’s open the whole school year.
Guevara has some 10% coupons available for students, and expanded his menu to four pages from two during the slower summer months. He’s now serving beer and wine for of-age students.
“The students make it so much busier,” he said.
A 17-year employee of M&D Deli, Tracey Speicher said her restaurant does really well catering for the college’s athletes, football, hockey, baseball, probably all of them at least once a season. The restaurant gets a decent breakfast crowd, too.
But the rush isn’t quite what it used to be. Construction might have something to do with it, but Speicher says it’s not the main factor.
“It’s COVID, I don’t think we’ve bounced back from that,” Speicher said.
Students go in for the breaded chicken cutlets and the deli’s signature garlic beef grinder.
On the other hand Matthew Diamond, owner of Gorgers subs on Main Street, previously said he relies more on regulars than students. He said students mostly eat off their meal plans during their first few years, not really venturing downtown till their junior or senior years.
Taking a breather during her pickleball game against fellow Dryden native Lauren Gulini, SUNY Cortland sophomore Madelyn Palumbo said she’s used to navigating downtown construction.
“Obviously it’s not the most convenient,” Palumbo said.
Gulini, a SUNY senior, agreed, saying they’re both fans of Bru64 and New York Deli & Bagel.
Nolan Ferguson, a senior from the Long Island town of Oyster Bay, said he has friends living on and around Groton Avenue, and said of all the SUNY students, they’re probably the most inconvenienced.
“I wasn’t even able to go by and see their house,” Ferguson said.
Ferguson was downtown earlier in the day, saying there are plenty of shortcuts. He and his family recently ate at, and enjoyed, Brix on Main Street.
