As winter break approaches, students are busy making their holiday plans.

Many will likely be going elsewhere, but for students who plan to stay in Ames, Campustown will still have opportunities for fun in a more laid-back atmosphere.

Caf‚ Beaudelaire, 2504 Lincoln Way, sees little change during the break with the cafe staying busy even over the holidays.

Laura Blome, employee at Caf‚ Beaudelaire, said the caf‚ sees a mixture of people, from students to individuals in the surrounding community, allowing for little to no change during the break.

“Our sales during the winter break usually stay the same because our caf‚ is so diverse,” Blome said.

“We have a lot of international students who come here and they don’t go home over break.”

People’s Bar and Grill, 2428 Lincoln Way, sees a decrease in traffic, but accommodates a different target group during the break.

The bands hired for winter break fit the tastes of an older crowd, but on New Year’s Eve, students are lured back to campus town with the promise of a ticketed show.

Derek Weber, sophomore in pre-business, said he will leave campus for most of the break, but assures he will be back to celebrate festivities at the end of the year.

“I live in Cedar Rapids and I will go home over break. Although Campustown is a fun place, I think students like to go home to their families and many of them live in dorms so they have to go home,” Weber said. “I will, however, come back during New Year’s to hang out with friends.”

A decreased staff also becomes an issue for Campustown businesses, but generally is not a major problem.

Izela Gauna from Jimmy John’s, 135 Welch Avenue, said, “Much of the staff are students who leave town anyway, so it is really not a problem.”

Wendell Mosby, hospitality and promotional coordinator at Big Shots, 2522 Chamberlain St., said although he sees a dramatic decline in business around the Ames bar scene, it’s not all a loss.

“We see [winter] break as a big time for us to do some refurbishing around the bar,” he stated.

“It’s not as bad as it seems — we need breaks just like students do.”