Cancelled NDSU fall football season may have impact on local businesses

For Grand Junction Grilled Subs, being near the Fargodome and NDSU meant seeing an influx of customers.

FARGO, N.D- COVID-19 has already taken a toll on many businesses in the F-M area.

“All the students gone, there goes our big wave of cash flow that usually gets us through a slow summer. So, that was kind of tricky, the other part too is with the social distancing, we switched to takeout and delivery only, but just with people staying home and not being sure what to do, you really noticed it in the sales,” The owner of Grand Junction Grilled Subs John Lester said.

Now, with the NDSU Football season moving to the Spring, the hit will possibly be much greater.

For Grand Junction Grilled Subs, being near the Fargodome and the NDSU campus meant seeing an influx of customers during the spring and fall.

“With all the students coming back, everybody wants to get their fix cause they’ve been out of town for a while. We’re not too far away from the Fargodome, so all those events bring in really big days for us. Having those removed, I mean, if they’re just gone temporarily, it’s just a thing that we have to survive, but if they’re gone permanently then we have to look at how we can fill that in,” he says.

As an NDSU alum, shop owner John Lester says he acknowledges the frustration that many Bison fans might have, but he says he also understands why the season is getting pushed back.

“The fact that they just seem to postpone it until springtime, is not that bad of a thing. I mean, you don’t get your fix in the fall, but either way if it’s still there in the springtime, you still get what you’re looking for,” Lester says.

Lester says despite all the hurdles, business has started to slowly pick back up.

“I mean, if we didn’t have the shutdown going on, I think it would probably be quite a bit busier, but it seems like we’ve reached a good balance right now,” Lester adds.