ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Pro Bowl weekend is underway in Orlando, and with it, tens of thousands of football fans are expected to converge on the City Beautiful.
What You Need To Know
- The Pro Bowl is coming to Orlando this weekend
- The events are expected to create around $45 million in economic impact
- Local business owners say they are excited for the extra business
As many as 88 NFL stars will show off their skills during the weekend's events, which will culminate in a championship game on Sunday at Camping World Stadium.
But according to leaders of the NFL, after hosting six Pro Bowls in Orlando, they want to have a legacy that reaches beyond the game, with about $45 million expected to be brought into the community.
“We want this to be a win-win, and we believe, since we’re coming back year over year, um, it’s been a win for the community as well,” said Peter O’Reilly, executive vice president of the NFL. “This isn’t about coming in and just putting on a game. It’s about engaging local businesses. It’s about bringing people in from around the country and around the world on this weekend.”
One nearby business owner is adjusting her menu as she looks to draw in football fans for what she hopes will be her biggest revenue weekend of the year.
Jennifer Yon has been making chicken wings since she was old enough to eat them.
“We’ve got the best wings in the city, I am just saying,” she said.
As the owner of Jenny’s Eat, Drink, Socialize on Church Street, she’s making sure each piece gets a generous helping of her secret marinade in anticipation of a busy weekend.
“Our hope is that we go through at least 10,000 wings,” Yon said.
She says she expects the Pro Bowl to be her busiest weekend of the year, which is why she is making sure she has everything she needs to roll out a sports-themed “Sky Box” menu.
“Beef ribs, beef for our hamburgers, and beef meatballs,” said Yon, going through her order. “We are making sure that we’re stocked up on everything with our favorites.”
The Pro Bowl is expected to bring upwards of 50,000 people to downtown Orlando. As a small business, Yon said she relies on that special event traffic to stay afloat.
“Out of the thousands of people that will be on the street, we expecting to raise our revenue throughout the weekend," she said.
Florida Citrus Sports studies the impacts of the event each year and found it pours millions of dollars in the community.
“The gas stations and the restaurants and all the different things that you would imagine somebody has to do when they’re in a community visiting, we get, and that that’s really what kind of drives that $45 million economic impact,” said Steve Hogan, CEO of Florida Citrus Sports
For Yon, that impact means stability, and the chance to grow her team and secure the future of her business in this area. Now, she can’t wait until her first football fans walk through her doors, knowing what each order will bring.
Yon said that in order to capitalize on the event traffic, she has even adjusted her restaurant hours, and will be staying open from 10 a.m. to midnight so she can make the most of the Pro Bowl weekend.