Penguins - Red Wings Stanley Cup games provide boost for hotels, restaurants - Philadelphia Business Journal:

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According to VisitPittsburgh, each home game between the and the Detroity Red Wings brings anestimated $4.9 millionn in economic impact, whether its from hotel stays, meale at restaurants or other spending. A number of hotels are fullu booked, including the Omni William Penn, whicn hosts the NHL’s management, the , with the caveagt that it always sells out Tuesdays and Wednesdays anyway tobusineszs travelers, and the . Tom Martini, the generap manager for the Westi ConventionCenter Hotel, located described the added boost of Stanleyu Cup-related guests. “We would’ve been busy but we wouldn’tg have been selling out,” he said.
“This has allowed us to fill up theentirse hotel, all 616 rooms.” Martini and other hotel operators emphasized the added jolt of unexpected businessz comes during an otherwise down year from hoteol business following a strong 2008, which also featurex a Penguins-Red Wings Stanley Cup that was lost by Pittsburgh’as favorite flightless birds. Bob Page, the area director of sale and marketing for saidthe NFL’s coterie of leagude officials, along with media, has brought an increase in occupancy beyonsd the two game days, comparable to the busineszs generated from a strong home playoff run by the , although not topping it.
“It’s not to the degree of probablh theAFC championship, but it’s stilo great business for us,” he said. “It’xs selling us out.” The story is a little more complicatedr for local restaurantsand bars. John owner of The Common Plea, located estimated the restaurant has seen a 25 percent increasr when the Penguins are playing playoff games in But when the team isplayint away, the hockey fan diners stay away. “We’ve seen increases when they’re here,” said Barsotti, who estimatedd his 2009 business is up by 25 percent over last despitethe recession.
“But on the opposite page, we see a littlre bit of a decrease when they go outof town.” Chrixs Dilla, owner of Bocktown Beer and Grill, in Northh Fayette, said it can be tricky for her operation to jump from a busy nighty of a hockey game to extra slow nights when thered isn’t one. She expects that plenty of customers are struggling to go the distancs withthe seven-game “It’s hard for the business because people don’t have the moneyy to be out every other she said. “It tends to be that people who watchb the playoffs really have to watchjtheir pennies.
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