While some ISU students are already gearing up for this year’s Veishea celebration, another faction of the community, Ames area business, is once again preparing for the alcohol-free aspect of the event.

Area businesses, especially those in Campustown, have had to adapt over the past few years to an alcohol-free Veishea celebration. While many businesses support the university’s decision to host a dry event, others have varied feelings about what it can do to their profits.

No specific restrictions are put on businesses and their alcohol sales during Veishea, but Veishea Co-Chair Justin Chesnut said committee members and the ISU administration ask businesses to limit their advertising during the celebration.

“We asked The Keg Shop and bars not to run any advertisements for alcohol specials,” said Chesnut, senior in agricultural systems technology. “It’s not that we don’t want them to do business with alcohol, but we just don’t want them to promote it.”

For some businesses, security is a concern during Veishea.

John Crawford, manager at Copyworks, 105 Welch Ave., said a dry Veishea is safer for the store.

“Anytime we have the potential for a riot, we stand the risk for loss, whether it is property or whatever, to the store,” he said. “All in all, a dry Veishea is the wisest choice for the university.”

Don O’Brien, owner of Wallaby’s, 3720 Lincoln Way, supports the university’s decision to have a dry Veishea.

“I think the university made the right choice, and it seems to be working well,” O’Brien said.

Denny Gano, owner of Cyclone Liquors, 626 Lincoln Way, said that although he is in business to sell alcohol, Cyclone Liquors will stand behind what the university thinks is best.

“The main thing is to save lives, because we don’t want trouble,” he said.

Some owners support dry Veishea because of the change of focus it gives the celebration. Scott Pattee, supervisor at Welch Ave. Station, 207 Welch Ave., said drinking is not the reason for Veishea.

“A dry Veishea is important because it brings the event back to what it used to be, which is a celebration of Iowa State, not a focus on drinking,” he said.

Ryan Spooner, manager of The Keg Shop, 218 Welch Ave., also supports dry Veishea.

“If it weren’t for the university, The Keg Shop wouldn’t be what it is,” he said. “We are given a lot of business because of the university.”

On the other hand, Spooner pointed out that some students do have the legal right to drink.

“I don’t believe in breaking the constitutional rights of people of legal drinking age because those freedoms are what America is about. That’s why we have a Constitution,” he said.

Many bar owners and managers said they are more careful during Veishea.

“Our business, since we are a bar, is to sell alcohol,” said Pat Greene, manager at Cy’s Roost, 121 Welch Ave. “We don’t want to close our store during Veishea, but we do pay more attention to people’s drinking and are more conscious of it.”

Greene said it’s in the best interest of everyone for bars to be open during Veishea.

“We can monitor people here. Customers might drive around Ames drunk if they aren’t able to drink in a controlled environment,” he said.

Welch Ave. Station takes control of drinking to help customers during a busier-than-usual weekend.

“Veishea weekend is always a little crazier than a normal weekend,” Pattee said. “We keep an eye on people, even more so during Veishea, and aren’t afraid to cut people off when we feel they have had too much, and we make sure they have a safe ride home.”

Greene said the amount of alcohol consumed during Veishea has slowed down in the past few years.

“The bar doesn’t like excessive drinking but a more social drinking,” he said. “We haven’t had as much of a problem with binge drinking; people don’t get as obnoxiously drunk as they used to.”

The Keg Shop notices “dramatic sales drops from past Veisheas,” Spooner said. A number of reasons contribute to a drop in sales during Veishea, he said.

“There is no access to the parking lot during Veishea because it is blocked off,” he said, “and since about 90 percent of our clientele is college-aged students, they are scared as to what could happen to them if they are caught.”

Greene said many customers at Cy’s Roost know the consequences of being intoxicated during Veishea.

“Customers show their concern about how many extra law enforcement officials are out during Veishea,” Greene said. “Some people ask employees to watch how much they drink because there are more police out.”

Businesses outside of Campustown have felt fewer effects of a dry Veishea.

“Because we are outside of Campustown, we haven’t been affected by a dry Veishea,” O’Brien said. “Our main business is serving food, and we don’t get the younger crowd here. We serve the parents of students.”

Business at Wallaby’s is about average during Veishea, with sales of alcohol and food remaining constant, O’Brien said.

Judy Holtmyer, assistant manager at Applebee’s, 105 Chestnut St., agreed with O’Brien.

“During Veishea, business is up a little, but we aren’t really affected because we are so far from campus. We aren’t within walking distance from campus.”

One business outside of campus that feels the effects of a dry Veishea is Cyclone Liquors.

“Veishea is a normal selling weekend for us,” Gano said. “Our sales are just not as exceptional as years gone by, but our business doesn’t depend on just one weekend either.”