Inside Tucson Business: Businesses prepare for explosive end to university's school year

Businesses prepare for explosive end to university's school year

By Veronica Thaanum Inside Tucson Business
Published on Monday, May 09, 2005

It's that time of year again - the closing days of the annual "life-cycle" of the University of Arizona's economic impact on Tucson's local economy. Senior class students have closed the books on their undergraduate years in preparation for Saturday's (May 14) graduation. Many of their out-of-town families will make one final trek to our city to spend money here.

"My whole family is flying in," said DeAndre Gipson who is graduating with a major in communication. "I had no idea it was going to be such a big deal, but they will all want to come. They are staying the whole weekend."

Matt Heitman, a graduating senior who majored in journalism and media arts, says his family is quite familiar with the school's graduation since both his parents are alums of the University of Arizona.

"My parents are flying in from Los Angeles," said Heitman. "They're going to stay in a hotel the whole weekend."

Tucson International Airport will be bustling toward the end of the week, hotels are booked solid, and, for locals, it will be hard to get reservations at local restaurants.

"We are much, much busier at this time of year than any other time. Grad week is like no other week," says Steve Perry, a manager at Sullivan's Steak House, 1785 E. River Road.

Perry estimates about 500 to 600 people will walk through the restaurant's doors next weekend.

"Graduation week is insane," he said. "We are so busy. It can get crowded and pretty loud so it isn't a good place to have a quiet or intimate dinner."

Perry said Sullivan's will cram in everyone they can. But he admits it is very hard, almost impossible, to accommodate private parties.

Further up in the Catalina Foothills, North, a modern-Italian restaurant in La Encantada at Skyline Drive and North Campbell Avenue, is expecting to be booked solid each day of the weekend.

"We run a completely separate reservation book for that weekend," said Kevin Overstreet, who works at North, 2995 E. Skyline Drive. "We start early in the year and we are almost completely booked."

While North will try to take guests who walk in, Oversteet says the wait will be very long, and there are no guarantees big parties will get in.

Finding a place to stay overnight in Tucson will also be difficult.

Sally Mildren of Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa, 3800 E. Sunrise Drive, says graduation is one of the busiest weekends the resort sees each year.

"Every year we sell out," she said. "And every year we sell out very much in advance."

The Marriott University Park, just two blocks west of campus at 880 E. Second St., is so busy that room reservations for next weekend cannot be made online or by using Marriott's national toll-free number. Lisa Steichen of the Marriott University Park said the only way to make a reservation for the weekend is to call the local hotel directly. And it may be already too late.

Steichen said the hotel had been accepting reservations since the fall and had only about five rooms still available.

And these weren't bargain prices. Normally, room rates at the Marriott University Park are about $154 but next weekend the rates are around $229 - and they are non-refundable.

At Tucson International Airport, public relations spokesperson Karen Garmon says there may be an influx of people passing through the terminal this week but May is busy anyway so it's "business as usual."

Veronica Thaanum is a freelance writer and former University of Arizona student, Comments regarding this story may be sent to editor@azbiz.com or call (520) 294-1200.