Written by Bison Staff
Homecoming weekend is a time when families and alumni flock to Harding, making it one of the busiest times in Harding’s calendar year. However, Harding isn’t the only place that finds itself busy on Homecoming weekend. The crowd also brings more business for local shops and restaurants in Searcy, which leads to more work.
One such business, Burrito Day, sees an influx of customers on Homecoming.
“It’s great,” alumnus Brandon Fox, the owner of Burrito Day, said. “It’s always super busy [Homecoming] weekend, and it usually starts before Friday lunch rush, and even Thursdays it seems like parents are coming to town… It tends to get a lot busier, sometimes twice as busy, just depends on the year … It’s always crazy. It’s like drowning, but the good kind where at least you know that you’re doing good business.”
Carol Busselle and her husband, Gene, both Harding alumni, own the ‘Alumni Shack,’ an AirBnB that sees business year-round. When guests aren’t arriving for Harding events, the Alumni Shack is used by travelers on business, such as doctors working at the White County Medical Center. Typically, the Alumni Shack is full over Homecoming.
“It’s good for the business,” Busselle said. “Anything in Searcy that houses people should be full during Homecoming Week.”
One of the staple businesses frequented by Harding students is Midnight Oil, a local coffee shop near the David B. Burks American Heritage Building. Rachel Miller, the manager for Midnight Oil, expects business to ramp up fast.
“This is my first year as a manager, but compared to previous years, just looking back at those, I see that we’re probably going to double our business,” Miller said. “So I’m having to double our employees for the day. It’ll just be really high traffic. It’ll be a fun, upbeat weekend, but it’ll be hard work. … Like every other small business in town, there’s going to be hiccups, but it’s always a fun time for the community.”
