March Madness brings more than just chaos to the court; it also has a significant economic influence on the community and generates more income for local businesses. Thursday’s games brought revenue and enthusiasm to local eateries, and their owners hope the trend continues on Saturday evening.
Owner and CEO of Eugene’s Hot Chicken, Zebbie Carney, stated, “It’s extremely thrilling.”
“People are arriving from everywhere, but they’ve never been to Birmingham before. They’re asking things such as, “Where can I go for this shopping or if I want to have a drink outside of downtown? “, so it’s great that the entire city welcomes it, according to Randall Peterson, manager at Mugshots in Uptown.
They stated that the boost is beneficial as they continue to recover from the epidemic.
Carney stated, “We absolutely need it…coming off the epidemic, it’s good to see the globe open up again.”
And fans from all over the world are attempting to experience Birmingham while they are here.
“Just strolling and getting acquainted with Birmingham…
I believe we have experienced everything. We were downtown and came over here,” said Nancy Olsen, who flew from South Dakota to Birmingham for this week’s games. Indeed, locals are still frequenting their favorite spots.
“Between the first and second session, as we were obligated to do, we attempted to visit Uptown, but it was crowded. There were people everywhere; we had to walk to Top Golf since it was that crowded. Bobby Brunner, a resident of Birmingham, said that the economic impact of the hotel workers in Homewood is “massive.” “There are rumors that the hotel workers in Homewood are everywhere, so I’m sure the economic impact is significant,” he added.
The personnel at both restaurants stated that they are prepared for the remainder of the weekend.
“On Saturday, there are just two games beginning, not four, so we won’t be as crowded, but maybe we’ll have other activities going on as well,” Carney added.