Riedinger works as a manager at Backyard Bar-B-Q, a barbecue sandwich shop inside Melting Moments, 313 E. Grand River Ave. While the store opened in May before students left for the summer, many are unfamiliar with it, he said.

“A lot of students have come back in for Melting Moments and have said ‘Whoa, this is something new,’” he said.

Business remained slow through the summer when many students left East Lansing. At times, Riedinger said he spent more hours checking the time on his phone than he did serving the occasional customer.

“Now, I’m checking my phone when I’m not busy and I can’t believe we have an hour left before we close,” he said.

Brian Marquardt, grocery manager at Country Markett, 1367 E. Grand River Ave., said Welcome Week is easily one of the store’s busiest weeks of the year.

“It’s not a typical week – you could go around any store in East Lansing and they would tell you that,” Marquardt said.

Although it wasn’t a typical business week at the market, students’ purchases were.

“Kegs, kegs and more kegs,” he said. “Since Wednesday, we’ve sold about 20 to 25 a night.”

While students occasionally buy groceries and school supplies as well, Marquardt estimated nine of every 10 students walk out with beer or liquor.

“It’s just the way it goes during Welcome Week,” he said. “It’s to the point that you’re surprised if they come up to the counter without some kind of alcohol.”

Adam Seyburn, manager at Ned’s Bookstore, 135 E. Grand River Ave., said students are likely to party at night during the week for the same reason they buy books during the day.

“Nobody really has any place to be,” Seyburn said. “I know freshmen have different orientations, but other than that people just go to parties.

“We’re busy, but everything is still laid back and it makes for a pretty smooth transition into the school year.”