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Christiansburg, Va. (WDJ) – The day of each home Virginia Tech football game brings huge increases in foot traffic and drive-in orders, but for business owners, opening hours are something to keep an eye on.
“On our calendar, we have day games, we have night games and we make sure we work accordingly,” said Alessandro Pugliese, owner of Sandro’s Pizzeria and Italian restaurant.
He says game days like the Sept. 17 game are especially encouraging for day games.
“Everybody went out to lunch after that game, and it helped the community with the restaurants and the market and all that good stuff,” he said. “Thursday, I think we have a night game, so we might get a good lunch rush and the evening will be a little slower.”
The increased foot traffic is a good sight for downtown Christiansburg.
“Virginia Tech football games are a huge draw,” said Assistant City Manager Andrew Warren. “Christiansburg has and will continue to benefit from Airbnbs staying in hotels here and going out to restaurants before and after the game.”
This year, when fans are looking for a place to spend money on football weekend, they have a few more options in Christiansburg.
“We’ve seen 56 new businesses open since January and I think that’s good,” said Christiansburg Mayor Mike Barber. “People are now willing to participate.”
He said this is a positive sign to come out of the epidemic.
“We’ll stay busy,” he said. “Football weekends are an amazing force. I would never change it. I hope they will be here forever.
Sept. 22 marks the third home game in a row for the Hokies, which means businesses are gearing up for a busy long weekend.
“It’s a big boost and it’s been a good three weeks for us and this Thursday night will definitely be an exciting time for the New River Valley,” Warren said.
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