Spring break brings challenges to local Pittsburg businesses

• Small businesses around Pittsburg rely on college-age people for both clientele and employees
• Students’ impact on the atmosphere of the city of Pittsburg is apparent to many locals
• The city of Pittsburg highly values its student population and encourages them to stay involved in their small-town community

When spring break comes to Pittsburg, Kansas, many feel as though the missing students affect more than just the traffic. Student employees and consumers make up a large amount of the daily commerce in the southeast Kansas town.

“There’s some energy associated with the students when they’re here and it’s palpable,” said Root Coffee House co-owner Brad Stefanoni. “You can feel it, whether that’s at one of the local businesses or at the grocery store or just on the road, you can tell when the students are here and you can tell when they’re not.”