When Student Safety Becomes Good Business

Creating a safer Dinkytown can also create a better customer experience.

For many University of Minnesota students, Dinkytown is more than a place to grab food between classes. It is where they eat, shop, meet friends, study, and spend time late into the night. Because students make up such an important part of the Dinkytown customer base, their experience in the neighborhood matters to local businesses.

When students feel comfortable and safe, they are more likely to spend time in the area, return to businesses they enjoy, and recommend those businesses to friends. For Dinkytown businesses, student safety is not only a community issue. It can also be part of creating a positive customer experience.

What Could Safety Look Like in Dinkytown Businesses?

Imagine a student is walking home alone at 2 a.m. after studying, working, or going out with friends. Instead of having to walk the entire way home without somewhere nearby to go, they see a sign on a Dinkytown business that says:

“If you feel unsafe, come inside and ask for help.”

That simple message could make a difference.

Businesses that are open late could participate in a “Dinkytown Safe Stop” program, giving students a visible place to go if they feel uncomfortable walking alone or need a safe place while waiting for help.

The same idea could apply to a student waiting for an Uber, Lyft, or a friend. Rather than standing alone on the sidewalk late at night, a business could allow them to wait inside until their ride arrives.

Businesses such as Raising Cane's, Insomnia Cookies, and McDonald's already operate late in Dinkytown, showing how existing businesses could potentially become part of a larger safety network. Other late-night businesses could participate as well.

Why Should Businesses Care?

Creating a safe and welcoming environment can help businesses build something every company wants: customer trust.

Research on consumer trust identifies reputation and customer service as important factors in how customers view businesses. When customers feel safe and cared for, they are more comfortable staying, returning, and recommending their experience to others.

For Dinkytown businesses, that creates a simple connection:

Safety → Trust → Positive Experience → Repeat Customers

A student who feels welcomed and supported is more likely to remember that experience. Over time, those positive experiences can contribute to customer loyalty and positive word of mouth.

Safety can also benefit Dinkytown beyond one individual business. The University of Minnesota identifies merchants as partners in creating a safe and vibrant neighborhood. When people feel secure in an area, they can be more comfortable spending time there, supporting local businesses, and participating in the community.

A safer Dinkytown can mean a more welcoming Dinkytown, and a more welcoming Dinkytown can benefit both students and businesses.

Safety Is a Shared Effort

Businesses do not have to solve every safety issue in Dinkytown on their own. But they can be part of creating an environment where students feel more comfortable.

That could mean allowing a student to wait inside for their ride, making employees aware of available safety resources, or simply creating a space where students know they can ask for help.

Small actions can make a business feel more welcoming while showing students that the businesses they support care about their experience in the community.

Learn. Connect. Stay Safe.

Students can also take steps to feel more prepared!

Join us for our upcoming Self-Defense Class + Safety Resource Event to learn practical self-defense skills and connect with resources available to students. 

Location: DSP Dinkytown Off-campus Safety Center (315 14th Ave SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414)

Date: October 26, 2026

Time: 10:15 - 11:15am

Together, we can make Dinkytown a place where students feel safe, welcome, and comfortable spending time.