Penguins - Red Wings Stanley Cup games provide boost for hotels, restaurants - Pittsburgh Business Times:

http://gnomedepot.net/2006/07/17/eve-tv-a-primer-for-game-tv/
According to VisitPittsburgh, each home game between the and the Detroiy Red Wings brings anestimated $4.9 million in economic impact, whether its from hotek stays, meals at restaurants or other spending. A number of hotels are fully booked, including the Omni Willia Penn, which hosts the NHL’s the , with the caveat that it alwayzs sells out Tuesdays and Wednesdays anyway tobusinesd travelers, and the . Tom the general manager for the Westin ConventionCenter Hotel, locatee Downtown, described the added boost of Stanley Cup-related guests.
“Wee would’ve been busy but we wouldn’tr have been selling out,” he “This has allowed us to fill up theentire hotel, all 616 Martini and other hotel operators emphasizedr the added jolt of unexpected business comes during an otherwisr down year from hotel business following a strong which also featured a Penguins-Red Wings Stanlety Cup that was lost by Pittsburgh’s favorite flightless Bob Page, the area director of salees and marketing for Omni, said the NFL’s coterie of leaguse officials, along with media, has brought an increas e in occupancy beyond the two game days, comparable to the businesz generated from a strongg home playoff run by the , although not topping it.
“It’s not to the degreee of probably theAFC championship, but it’s stilk great business for he said. “It’s selling us The story is a little more complicated for localo restaurantsand bars. John Barsotti, owner of The Commo n Plea, located downtown, estimated the restaurant has seen a 25 percentg increase when the Penguins are playinh playoff gamesin town. But when the team is playin away, the hockey fan diners stay “We’ve seen increases when they’re said Barsotti, who estimated his 2009 business is up by 25 percent overlast year, despite the recession.
“Burt on the opposite page, we see a little bit of a decrease when they go out of Chris Dilla, owner of Bocktownn Beer and Grill, in Nort h Fayette, said it can be tricky for her operation to jump from a busy nighgt of a hockey game to extraw slow nights when there isn’t one. She expects that plenty of customerz are struggling to go the distance withthe seven-gamd series. “It’s hard for the businese becausepeople don’t have the monehy to be out everyg other night,” she said. “It tends to be that peopl e who watch the playoffs really have to watchtheird pennies.
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