Editors note: In order to ensure clarity, an addition has been made to this story. The new Greek's location on McGalliard Road is not owned by the same people as the location in the Village district.
As students arrive back to campus each fall, it seems there are always a few things that must be done to make them feel at home again. This time around, Village business owners are encouraging students to spend time in the area by offering more options and student-friendly service.
Many Village businesses such as The Cup, cardinal cupcakes and coneys and Grandma Betty's Ice Cream Shop are prepared to have a return of business and to reveal some new products and systems for the upcoming school year.
Grandma Betty's has been operating throughout the entire summer, taking advantage of the extremely dry conditions, especially during orientation. Manager Jeannine Lee Lake said business has been a bit choppy but they've been able to sustain it and are looking forward to trying out some of their new products.
"We have what we call the 'Granny Crunch' what we're going to be offering when school starts returns, kind of like a blizzard but it's going to have our little flare on that," Lake said. "We're [also] going to have an opportunity to have a new Grandma Betty's frequent flavor card."
Also in the works is the introduction of deliveries to the business and bringing their ice cream even closer to campus.
"We're pretty confident that we'll be able to do that this year; we'll deliver to LaFollette and one other [location] on campus at a certain time in the evening, probably around 10 p.m.," she said.
Lake said there are plans to open another ice cream shop on the south side of town, something that fellow business owners Melissa Bucur and Chris Ellison know a thing or two about as well.
Bucur owns and operates the cardinal cupcakes and coneys shop in the Village and is opening a new location on McGalliard Road next to Captain D's and across from Moe's Southwest Grill, she said.
The cupcake shop has had steady business throughout the summer months, but in a slightly different way than most of the other Village businesses.
"I mean, I think the great thing about it is that we've had weddings all summer and so that's kind of kept us busy while the students haven't been there," Bucur said. "We've kind of been able to fill that time with wedding preparation and going to weddings on Saturdays and setting up cupcakes."
Even through the cupcake shop has been catering to weddings over the summer, they're still kicking into gear and preparing for the return of the Ball State community.
"We're definitely preparing by making more cupcakes than we have this summer and doing some more Ball State-themed ones the week that they're back," she said. "We're just ready for them to come back and to come down and give us a try."
Chris Ellison has been busy renovating and restoring Center Stage downtown while also maintaining The Silo and Cleo's Bourbon Bar.
Center Stage will be open on days when artists have been booked, which will usually fall on Fridays and Saturdays.
Ellison also has plans to open a Chicago-style pizzeria, called Little Chicago's Pizza, next to Cleo's in the near future.
The owners of a new Greek's Pizzeria have also been busy with a new pizza shop opening soon.
The new Greek's Pizzeria will be located on McGalliard Road near the Muncie Mall and will feature the same items that are available at the Village location.
Most businesses in the Village have a game plan and know what to expect from a fresh group of people coming off their summer breaks and gearing up for class, but The Cup owner Martin George said he feels like they're still on a bit of a "learning curve."
"We opened in April of this year so we're still learning the ropes," George said. "But we're gearing up with some new food offerings that will be available and training new people and all that kind of stuff."
George said the summer business was actually busier than anticipated and that his employees are looking forward to the amount of business they experienced during their first month in operation.
"We had lines out the door almost every day for the first month, three-hour lines out the door," he said. "We have a few of our baristas and cooks that are looking forward to that challenge again."
Fall Semester will be The Cup's first full semester in the Village and it will be the first chance for the coffee shop to gain the knowledge and experience they are looking for.
"I think once we get off the ground here this school year, we'll really understand what we're doing," he said. "That's when we'll really understand it because we didn't have enough time during the school year and the spring but we're still upright, we're still going, we're still serving."
Now that students are officially back, the Village can settle into its new products and businesses and begin another semester of serving the community while still working on attracting new customers.
"I would just wish they would come and give all of us in the Village a try, not just myself but all of us a try because we're down there trying to make it a better place for them," Bucur said.
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