detroit — The energy from the NFL Draft spread beyond downtown and beyond Woodward to other neighborhoods and communities Friday, with business owners and executives saying they are finally seeing some movement.
Inside Nemo's in Corktown on Friday afternoon, customers were drinking beer and stuffing themselves with fried food, then hoping for a free shuttle to the festival. Most were Lions fans, with a few Cleveland Browns fans and Kansas City fans mixed in.
“The energy was so much fun,” Nemo’s manager Tara Garrity said Friday afternoon.
Area businesses have set up six tents and have shuttles running throughout the day to shuttle draft participants to and from downtown. On Friday afternoon, draft participants were riding shuttles or walking downtown.
Garrity said “all the little communities are coming together” for the event.
Garrity, a native Detroiter, watched the “Today Show” on Friday, and “they couldn't say enough good things about us,” she said.
“I'm so glad it's not the murder capital of the world…I just think, 'Wow, people are having a good time, the city is shining.' It looks so beautiful, especially the river,” she said. said.
Meanwhile, at McShane's Irish Pub, owner and Corktown Business Association President Bob Roberts wants to make sure the city's oldest neighborhood receives a share of the business in the draft. , the association offers tents and free shuttle service to patrons. And we will launch an artisan market.
“The downtown business district got a lot of attention and was a big part of the business, but we wanted to make sure we were representative of Corktown,” he said. “Our small businesses are very diverse.”
Roberts said business was a little slow Thursday, but picked up by the afternoon.
“Once it cranked in, it cranked in, and it's been very, very stable during the day today,” Roberts said. “So I really expect to get spanked later tonight.”
Roberts said the city, Visit Detroit and the athletic commission “did a great job,” but added, “We could have pushed earlier to let people know about some of the alternative parking options.” .
But in Detroit as a whole, “we know how to take care of people,” he said. “We know how to treat visitors.”
However, some businesses were affected by road closures.
Sagar Patel, manager of Lefty's Cheesesteak in West Adams in downtown Detroit, said Thursday was better than Friday in terms of business. He expected it to be better, but he thought the food trucks were keeping people from stopping at the fixed restaurants. “The problem today is with DoorDash,” he said. Adams is just outside the road closure area and drivers are having trouble getting to him. He said, “I'm cooking and calling everyone, but it's been cancelled.''
