From Sept. 26 to Sept. 28, stores and restaurants in Hanover experienced a surge in business from Family Weekend, during which the College invited the families of freshmen and seniors to Hanover. According to the College, 3,800 parents, siblings and other family members registered this year, more than ever before.
Hanover businesses worked to accommodate the influx of Dartmouth community members.
Lou’s Restaurant and Bakery, for example, handled catering orders for approximately 4,000 people at a Dartmouth-sponsored breakfast event on Sept. 28, according to general manager Craig Morley.
“We did 1,500 pastries and coffee for 900 people, and orange juice for the same amount,” Morley said. “This weekend was probably a little busier than a normal weekend, but with the fall semester, kids are back, parents’ weekend, foliage … people are out, so we plan on being busy.”
General manager of Molly’s Restaurant & Bar Jennifer Packard also said she noticed increased levels of foot traffic.
“We have to definitely increase our inventory on these big weekend[s],” Packard said. “We definitely order on a different level than we normally do.”
Hanover Inn assistant front office manager Dan Gordon said the hotel “went heavy” on valet services in order to prepare for an expected spike in bookings.
“Usually we’ll have one guy on the bell stand, but I think we had three because people were just in and out,” Gordon said. “I think we might have had additional front desk staff to handle phone calls and stuff like that.”
Gordon added that the weekend was “a lot of fun” and said “it was a good time to connect with freshman parents.”
Pine Restaurant — located in the Hanover Inn — also saw an increase in customers according to assistant general manager Halle Van Ballegooyen. Van Ballegooyen called it “good stress,” but said the restaurant “definitely overstaffed” in preparation for the weekend to ensure all customers had “a very comfortable dinner.”
“We definitely upped all our scheduling,” Van Ballegooyen said. “We had hosts ready to seat, the patio was clean and everything looked presentable for everyone.”
Van Ballegooyen said the restaurant prepared for the weekend by “making sure” the bar was “fully stocked.”
“We know coming in that the parents know and love our good wines and definitely our top-shelf liquors,” Van Ballegooyen said.
The bustling weekend combined with limited parking in town posed a challenge for town employees, according to Packard. She said some of her employees got to the restaurant 30 minutes late due to the lack of parking.
“With the parking garage [closed], clothes [stores] and Main Street dining taking up space, it’s just made it a little difficult,” Packard said.
Ivy Edit employee Brennan Welsh, on the other hand, said the weekend was “busy” but “not stressful.”
“We’ve had a slower summer and a slower fall than usual,” Welsh said. “So parents weekend was a good relief from that.”
He added that many of their “Dartmouth-esque” green and white clothes “did really well” over the weekend.
Van Ballegooyen said that her employees were “super happy” with the traffic coming in. “They were very excited for it,” Van Ballegooyen said. “We were all ready and embraced the busy.”
Students reported enduring long lines and at-capacity restaurants when eating out with their families.
Tony Cicerone ’29 said “every” business in town was “packed.”
“You couldn’t get in anywhere without a reservation,” Cicerone said. “Even the coffee shops [were] packed.”
Sonia Sidhu ’29 said “there were lines out the door” at every restaurant in Hanover. She added that the wait time at Lou’s Restaurant & Bakery was “an hour almost.”
“We eventually had to go get food at Starbucks because there were so many lines and there was no parking,” Sidhu said.
Van Ballegooyen said that while the weekend felt “a little busier,” it was “all really fun.”
“The parents were super excited to be here and take part in everything that Dartmouth has to offer,” Van Ballegooyen said. “And so it was really fun to hear all those stories of what they did.”
