Texas Tech graduation boosts Lubbock's economy

LUBBOCK, TX (KCBD) - Thousands of former Texas Tech students can now call themselves college graduates.

After they walked the stage, it was time for them to celebrate.

They did exactly that at some local Lubbock businesses, which was music to their ears.

"Graduation is a very busy weekend for us," says Triple J employee Emma Brockhouse. She would later to go on to say, "But, it is an exciting weekend for us because it's graduation."

This day has been in the making for over two years, and Triple J's manager Justin Zimmerman says that reservations can start more than a year in advance, and business doubles during graduation.

"We take reservations all year, we have some people that go above and beyond, and book a year in advance." Zimmerman would go on to say that, "this is one of our best weekends of the year, and we are the most prepared we have ever been."

That is the case for most restaurants around town, as the graduate crowds take over Lubbock.

Often after they eat their food, they head over to the Matador to get their gear.

"It is a great event for us, everyone that travels to Lubbock always stops and gets Texas Tech gear, and that's good for us. Because, we are here at the heart, right in-front of the university and they come here first," says The Matador owner Steve Massengale.

And, these graduation weekends, will only get bigger and better for Lubbock. As Texas Tech's current enrollment sits at 35-thousand, and they plan to be at 40-thousand by 2020.

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