As hundreds of thousands of NFL fans descended on downtown Detroit for the draft last weekend, local businesses expected tourists to be looking for places to shop and eat while in town, with high expectations. was holding
Some companies have seen a significant increase in sales. However, some said they were disappointed.
Downtown Detroit business owners and business association presidents all agreed that the draft would be good for the city and its reputation.
The NFL Draft in Detroit set a record for attendance, drawing more than 775,000 draftees to downtown Detroit from Thursday through Saturday, officials announced. Before the draft began, officials predicted the NFL draft would generate $175 million to $200 million in economic growth for Detroit, and officials now expect to exceed that projection. .
“I think it's been a great thing for the city of Detroit,” said Tony Stovall, co-owner and CEO of Hot Sam's, a men's clothing store that has been open in downtown Detroit for more than 100 years. . “Then with all the PR, it could be great for Hot Sam's, but given the opportunity we had over the weekend and the sacrifices we made over the month, it wasn't what we thought it would be. It wasn't as financially rewarding as it was intended to be. ”
Hot Sam's owners were invited to the NFL Draft stage to talk about their business. Although the store is near where the draft stage was built, it was located outside the draft site and was difficult to access.
But they received great feedback from local businesses that participated in the draft and provided services such as catering, payroll and discounts, said Kai Bowman, chief operating officer of the Black Business Alliance of Michigan. Regarding several members of the association, he said: within that group.
Justin Winslow, president and CEO of the Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association (MRLA), said restaurants within the scope of the draft plan will have limited operational flexibility and will not be excluded or eliminated. He said that he had some anxiety leading up to the draft, as he was faced with a number of challenges.
“Then when (draft) day came, I heard the condition: 'Make a month's worth of revenue in three days,'” he said. “I heard from someone else that (draft day) was like the 'busiest weekend of the year.'
Winslow added, “I think the overall headline is that hospitality has completely defeated Detroit.”
Bowman said he has also heard from members doing business close to the draft that they did well, too, especially when the entry point to the draft closed once it reached capacity on Thursday.
Another big winner is hotels, Winslow said. The week leading up to the draft was the most successful week for Detroit hotels.
“We're talking about the best week ever in terms of occupancy and average occupancy” throughout the weekend, he said.
more:How 775,000 people moved within downtown during the NFL Draft in Detroit
more:Economic impact of Detroit's NFL draft likely to shatter initial predictions
Meanwhile, Detroit pop-up shop Bone had such a strong weekend that its owners decided to extend its contract through the summer. They set up shop on the site of Woodward's Moose Jaw.
“It exceeded all expectations,” said Anthony Tomey, co-owner of Born in Detroit and CEO of The Tomey Group.
Tommy said Born in Detroit sold out of NFL merchandise in three hours on Thursday and had to place emergency orders to get additional items in by Friday. The store had sold out of almost everything by the end of the weekend, and he had fewer than 10 sweatshirts left.
On the first day of the draft, Lisa Walters, managing partner of Moot's Pizzeria + Bar on Library Street, about a block from Woodward, said business was slow due to a steady flow of customers until 5 p.m. said it was amazing. For a private party.
“Business was obviously double what it would be on a normal Thursday,” Walters said. “Lunch sales and customer numbers have easily doubled.”
Business during the draft period was also strong for American Coney Island and Lafayette Coney Island, neighboring friendly rivals located on Lafayette Street and within sight of the draft hall.
On the first day of the draft, lines at American Coney Island often stretched down Michigan Avenue outside the restaurant. At Lafayette Coney Island, the longtime Detroit eatery told WXYZ-TV (Channel 7) it sold about 10,000 hot dogs in three days.
What companies have given up on
Just a few blocks away, George Antonopoulos, owner of Athens Souvlaki (on West Fort Street, just south of Griswold), said business increased significantly last Thursday, with more business on Friday than any other Friday. , said it wasn't that much and took all day. So.
“Whatever you do in four hours on Friday, double that, but it took you 12 hours to do it,” he said.
Normally the restaurant closes at 3pm, but they were open late due to the draft.
Ahead of the draft, Antonopoulos said business was down 50% from Monday through Wednesday due to road closures and regular customers working remotely in preparation for the draft. And he said the same thing is happening this week among employees working from home.
“It was like giving up a week and a half of business for two great days,” Antonopoulos said.
Mr. Antonopoulos realized that the negative impact on business was much less favorable to Jefferson, although he did not expect the entrance to the draft to be in front of the restaurant.
“We were shut out of everything,” he said. “(The flow of people) was massive, but just passing through and down Griswold. We're happy with what happened to the city, but it came at a cost to us personally. ”
Kuztim (Kue) Kolami, owner of nearby Ke Deli on West Fort Street, said business had also slowed in the lead up to the draft as patrons were working remotely.
“We were hoping to catch up and benefit from the draft, but that didn't happen,” he said.
Kolami knew the food and staff were ready, his deli was in a prime location not far from the draft, and there was a People Mover station near Fort and Cass.
But Kolami said that despite high foot traffic, draft exits are far away in Jefferson and other areas, which he believes is also holding back business.
“But in my opinion, the way they designed it ensured that the funds were spent on Campus Martius,” Kolami said. “The south side here didn’t really benefit.”
Korami ran the same menu during draft week and remained open afterward. He expected his business to catch up by the end of the week, but on Saturday it was just him and two others running the restaurant.
“The way the media was doing it…we thought that with so many people downtown, there wouldn't be enough restaurants to feed them,” he said. They were here, but not many people came here. ”
Lessons learned by downtown Detroit business owners
Born in Detroit's Tommy commented on the future, saying that while it's not an event that usually draws hundreds of thousands of people like the draft, it's a big draw for people walking downtown and going to Tigers games and concerts. I am confident that the store will continue to be busy.
“This is a great location for us,” he said of the pop-up location. “This is a great home and a great brand for us.”
Bowman said the success of the NFL Draft pop-up, Recess, a food hall that showcases locally owned and Black-run culinary concepts, shows that Detroit needs more permanent spaces designed for Black customers. was shown.
“There aren't that many places (downtown) where the majority of people who live in the city can actually go and feel like they're not being celebrated, that they're not being accepted.” He said the majority of Black businesses in Michigan, members of the Detroit-based Alliance, do business in neighborhoods rather than downtown. “Frankly, I think if downtown businesses actually reflected the population, we would see more foot traffic.”
Contact Adrian Roberts: amroberts@freepress.com.
Contact Detroit Free Press food and restaurant writer Susan Selasky and send food and restaurant news and tips to selasky@freepress.com. Follow @SusanMariecooks on Twitter. Subscribe to free press.
