CANTON, Ohio (WOIO) - It is a historic week for NFL fans, but for Canton’s local economy, the Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Week is a multimillion-dollar game-changer.
Local business owners down the street from the campus say they are ready for the massive rush of out-of-town visitors.
Janice Holzopfel, owner of Kustard Korner, has a front-row seat to the action. Her ice cream shop sits just down the road from the Hall of Fame.
“People get off this exit here at \[Interstate\] 77 and they might drive by and say, ‘Oh, let’s stop there!’” Holzopfel said.
Just a two-minute drive down the road, Jerzee’s Sports Grille is also preparing for packed houses. General Manager Erin Dotson says the weekend requires all hands on deck, with their entire roster of staff rotating through three local locations.
“It’s crazy, it’s exciting, it’s an adrenaline rush,” Dotson said. “We’re so busy. There’s so many people in from out of town and we love being so close to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. We’re like your local bar so we do really well all year round, but this is a boost.”
Both businesses sit about a half-mile from the Hall of Fame campus. While the proximity brings foot traffic, Jerzee’s has found other creative ways to capitalize on the crowds.
“We do charge for parking because we do have a huge lot,” Dotson said. “And that’s just another way to make money, but we do what we can to make people happy.”
According to Pro Football Hall of Fame officials, the annual celebrations have generated more than $40 million for Stark County and about $65 million for the state of Ohio over the last six decades.
While the financial numbers are massive, Holzopfel says it is simply nice to see local, family-owned shops get put front and center.
“We’re ready for it,” Holzopfel said. “We do the best we can and we hope that people stop and that people enjoy Canton, Ohio.”
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