In two weeks 40,360 students will invade Champaign-Urbana, two cities that have a combined population of 109,484, according to the 2004 U.S. Census Bureau. With a University that increases an area’s population by nearly half, Campustown sees a quick change in demand.

“Most businesses around here go from pretty slow to this dramatic rush,” said Steve Paul, general manager of Espresso Royale, 602 East Daniel Street.

Campustown businesses have started to prepare for the back-to-school rush. They must hire and train new employees, schedule staff, reorganize and finish other maintenance needs.

“It’s just pretty much trying to have your ducks in a row,” Paul said. “Just be ready to welcome people back.”

For some the busy season starts at the end of August when students return and continues until May when spring semester ends. For others, the busiest time of year is during those first few weeks when students arrive on campus.

The three major book stores on campus, Follet’s Bookstore, TIS College Bookstore and Illini Union Bookstore, try to meet the high demands at the beginning of each semester. Besides ordering books for every offered class, bookstores hire one-fourth to one-third extra help for the first weeks back to campus, according to Brian Paragi, textbook manager at TIS. They also set up chains or ropes around the store to create an organized line during the rush of students buying books for class.

“We try to figure out how to use our regular space to accommodate students upstairs and downstairs,” Paragi said.

Restaurants and coffee shops mark students’ return as the beginning of higher business rates. Rick Minick, co-owner of Junior’s Burgers and Shakes on the corner of Sixth and John, which opened June 26, expects business to quadruple and plans to double the amount of employees.

“We just think the University will support this facility,” Minick said. “We’re here for the students.”

Starbucks, 501 East Green Street, another business new to Campustown, overstaffed in expectation of doubling its employees’ hours when students return.

“My expectation, I want to be the busiest store here,” said Nathan Johnston, shift supervisor at Starbucks.

Starbucks has received positive and negative attention since its arrival mid-July. Johnston noticed some people shaking a fist and scowling at the Starbucks sign, “but then people come in saying they’ve been waiting for us.”

Restaurants that are not new to campus do not expect this year to be any different than the past. For coffee shops like Espresso Royale, business peaks at the beginning of the semester, midterms and finals. Though summer has stayed relatively busy, Paul expects the two weeks after summer classes end to be slow.

“It’s definitely a dramatic change from classes being in session to no classes in session,” Paul said.

With current students returning to campus and new students arriving, businesses try to grab students as future customers. This summer TIS started a promotional card that rewards students for shopping there. Starbucks attracts customers through active samplings and plans to be well received as a recognizable company from the city. Other businesses use daily specials.

“We always have $2 lattes on Wednesday,” Paul said. “It’s the best deal you can get on coffee and always our best and biggest promotion.”

Businesses are not the only ones preparing for students arrival – the University prepares for students returning to residence halls. Last minute preparations are underway as the University resident halls receive deep cleanings after being used for summer conferences, and dining staff begin to train and try new recipes.

On move-in day, 600 Illini guides will help students find their way around and move their belongings into Residence Halls. Between August 16 and 21, approximately 8,500 students will move into University Housing, more than half of them being new students.

“New students are getting used to living in a community, learning to get along with other people, learning to get involved and to set their own schedules – there’s a lot of preparation that goes into that,” said Kirsten Ruby, assistant director of housing for marketing.

Today, 173 resident advisors move into the dorms to start training. They spend the next two weeks learning to answer students’ questions and help them with other needs, and decorating floors to make them more welcoming to students.

New students also will be welcomed by a new orientation called I-Start, which is a college hosted event. They will learn about bookstore basics, campus safety and diversity. Events from previous years, such as Illini Union Late Nighter, convocation, Fresh Start at Impe and Quad Day, will be held as well.

“We’re gearing up, we’re almost open,” Ruby said.