[media-credit name=’BRYAN FAUST/Herald Photo’ align=’alignnone’ width=’648′][/media-credit]With the demolition of University Square, the campus area recently underwent a significant transition period. But for Rising Sons Deli and Restaurant, now located at 617 State St., business is still going well despite the changes.

According to Rising Songs owner Be Macvilay, the establishment has moved before. Before its tenure at University Square, she said her family owned a small grocery on Park Street. But, she said, the move has been difficult on the restaurant.

"It was hard for us to move the business," Macvilay said. "We were short on money to begin with."

Her family had to borrow a bit to start their restaurant, Macvilay added, but have stayed in business thanks to loyal clientele.

"We get a lot of students and faculty," she said. "When they walk down State Street they recognize us because they remember us from the old location."

Mary Carbine, executive director of Madison's central business improvement district, said starting and sustaining a business on State Street is not necessarily an easy task, and noted many small businesses fail within a year of opening.

Small establishments might close their doors for several reasons, she added.

"Some businesses fail because of bad management, some because they lose their customer base due to a changing population — and others might suffer from bad management practices," Carbine said.

Yet Macvilay said it is the quality fare that keeps her customers coming back. The restaurant serves a variety of Laotian and Thai cuisine that reminds many of their Asian customers of home, she said.

The selection also includes a number of dishes familiar to American palettes such as egg rolls, pad thai and sticky rice, as well as others maybe not so familiar, like papaya salad and drunken noodles.

Carbine argued it is the originality of many businesses that makes the State Street area one of the city's most important commercial districts. While the city provides marketing, promotion and additional cleaning services for the district, she said, there are pricey fees for area business owners, which make it a desirable but expensive location.

According to Carbine, there are now more corporate businesses than ever, though roughly 80 percent of the businesses are still locally owned franchises or independents. As the years have gone by, she said the stores that make up the district have shifted to reflect the times.

New curious gourmands will make up for the increased expense of operating on State Street, Macvilay said. Owning a business is an uphill battle, she added, but her family is confident their customer base will continue to frequent them at the new location.

— Darryl Schnell contributed to this report