Detroit's small business scene is tapping into the economic goldmine of the upcoming NFL Draft, with local entrepreneurs and restaurant owners revving up for an influx of visitors. As the draft nears, businesses are poised to make the most of the sports spectacle estimated to lure hundreds of thousands to Motor City.
Kiersten Johnson, who has been running "Cookies by Kiersten" since 2009, attended the "NFL Draft Small Business Pregame," a workshop series aimed at leveraging the draft's business boom. "To learn how to position myself in Google to make myself easily accessible for the people who are going to be descending onto our city," Johnson told CBS Detroit. The city is getting set for a packed house, with Claude Molinari, of Visit Detroit, noting that "all the hotels downtown are going to be sold out."
Meanwhile, brick-and-mortar establishments are not the only ones gearing up. Food trucks, and pop-up shops are setting up shop within the draft's downtown footprint, as reported by Axios. Nina Love, of The Love Experience, excitedly anticipates showcasing her life's work in catering at Hart Plaza during the draft.
However, some feel sidelined in the scramble for contracts and visibility. The Southwest Detroit Business Association expressed concerns of exclusion, though the draft's local organizing committee refuted such claims, with Alexis Wiley highlighting the inclusion of four Southwest businesses and a dozen others on the event's app, according to Axios.
Moreover, as the draft approaches, more than a dozen new businesses are opening their doors, as reported by WXYZ. This includes Side Hustle Lounge, Mootz Pizzeria's new cocktail and event space. Naumann Idrees, senior vice president of leasing at Bedrock, stated, "We have been working furiously to make sure a number of our tenants who have had a bunch of momentum get open prior to opening of draft." The city's fresh additions, keen on seizing the moment, aim to leave a lasting impression on the draft's audience, with the NFL Draft serving as an opportunity to showcase Detroit's resurgence.
