Community bars try to keep up with trends of student interest
While students at Central Michigan University are not the exclusive patrons at bars in Mount Pleasant, they are the majority. Students are part of the reason why places like The Bird Bar and Grill reaches capacity almost every weekend during the school year.
Ypsilanti senior Julia Stier said she’s had a lot of great nights at The Bird meeting new people and spending time with friends.
“I like that it’s got character — from the zombie head on the ceiling to the many names (carved into) all the tables,” Stier said. “The food is amazing too.”
Keeping up with trends of the student population is something most bar owners in Mount Pleasant take into consideration. A night out for a CMU student could include getting bottle service at Encore, The Nightclub, dancing in the cages at Wayside Central or going to see live music. Because of the options available and increased emphasis on code enforcement in neighborhoods north of campus, the bar scene in Mount Pleasant has become more popular, said bar owners and students.
“The house party culture in Mount Pleasant is really dying down,” said Cadillac senior Anthony Urse, a DJ at Encore, The Nightclub. “It’s really hard to have a party here. (Police) are really cracking down.”
For Sandusky junior Lindsay Ball, factors that determine a good night are a balance between atmosphere and the people she is with.
“I live on Main Street right now so that’s a lot of fun,” Ball said. “We people-watch a lot, and then if we do go out, we usually walk downtown to (The Bird). It’s my favorite. If not, we just hang out on our porch and play card games.”
Offering more live shows, extending hours so students can stay out later and putting affordable drinks and specials on the menu are ways to appeal to students, said John Hunter, co-owner of The Cabin, Wayside Central and O’Kellys Sports Bar & Grill, Hunter's Ale House and Hunter's Handmade Brewery.
“I’m seeing a trend of (bars and nightlife venues) coming full circle and going back to offering more live events,” Hunter said. “We definitely try to keep the students in mind and keep things affordable.”
When he noticed students traveling to other universities or cities like Detroit to see concerts, Hunter said he wanted to start offering that at venues like Wayside to keep students in Mount Pleasant over the weekend.
“Sticking with the trends is probably the biggest obstacle I face (in running different nightlife venues),” he said.
Upcoming shows at Wayside are Chase Bryant on April 21, NGHTMRE on March 24 and Slander on April 9.
Bouncer at the Blue Gator Sports Pub & Grill, "DJ" Dale Merza described the nightlife in Mount Pleasant as "a big town scene in a small town setting."
“Nightclubs are evolving from places to dance to places that have live electronic arts,” said Urse, who also goes by “DJ Urse.”
Urse has been a DJ at the club since Encore first opened last year.
The transition from The Shaboom Room to Encore was received with some criticism, he said.
“It went from people wearing semi-casual clothes to people feeling obligated to dress up now,” Urse said. “But Encore is one of the nicer nightclubs in the region. I was surprised at how many people I saw getting bottle service before spring break.”
Attention span goes down if a venue doesn’t have some kind of live music act or DJ, Urse said.
