Christiansburg, Va. (WDBJ) — Every home Virginia Tech football game day sees a massive increase in foot traffic and takeout orders, but for business owners, tee times are something they keep an eye on.
“On our calendar, we have time for daytime games, we have time for evening games, and we make sure our staff work accordingly,” said Alessandro Pugliese, owner of Sandro’s Pizzeria and Italian Restaurant.
He said race days provided momentum, especially day races such as September. 17 games.
“After that game, everyone went out for lunch, and it really helped the community with restaurants, shopping and all of this good stuff,” he said. “On Thursday, I think we have an evening game, so we might be busy with lunch and then it’ll be a bit slower in the evening.”
The increase in foot traffic is a welcome sight for the town of Christiansburg.
“The football game at Virginia Tech is very engaging,” said assistant town manager Andrew Warren. “Christiansburg has benefited and will continue to benefit from the hotels, Airbnbs, people who come to the restaurants before and after games.”
This year, as fans look for a place to spend their money on football weekends, they have more options in Christiansburg.
“We’ve seen 56 new businesses open since January, which I think is great,” Christiansburg Mayor Mike Barber said. “People are willing to take risks now.”
That’s a positive sign coming out of the pandemic, he said.
“We’ve been busy,” he said. “Football weekend is a fantastic force. I never want to change that. I want them to be here forever.”
September 22 is the Hokies’ third straight home game, which means businesses are gearing up for a busy long weekend.
“It’s been a huge increase, it’s been a good three-week period for us, and this Thursday night is definitely going to be an exciting time for New River Valley,” Warren said.
Copyright 2022 WDBJ. all rights reserved.