Eateries hope to attract World Games visitors
The World Games 2022 — coming to Birmingham July 7-17 — should attract as many as 500,000 visitors, organizers say.
The event is expected to have an economic impact on the metropolitan area of about $250 million.
If those numbers hold true, then small bar and restaurant owners in the Magic City should benefit from the influx of visitors.
“People coming here will want to experience the real Birmingham, so local restaurants and retail that display the authenticity of Birmingham will be where many visitors gravitate,” said David Fleming, president and CEO of REV Birmingham.
It seems likely that such popular districts near downtown as Five Points South, Avondale, Lakeview and Parkside will draw visitors.
Avondale Park is a Games venue, with an archery competition, and Lakeview is near Sloss Furnaces, where the speed climbing competition will be held.
Five Points South is located near UAB, which will host several sports during the Games.
Tom Saab, owner and executive chef at Bistro 218 and Bocca Ristorante, said that he expects the Games to directly affect his businesses because they’re located in the central business district downtown near several sports venues.
“Bistro 218 is on 20th Street North, and the street is being temporarily renamed World Games Boulevard,” Saab said. “That’s pretty central to the action. Bocca Ristorante is only three blocks away on Second Avenue North.”
Saab said that his eateries have already seen an increase in business thanks prior to the event.
“We host business dinners for the administrators and planners” of the Games, he said.
The recent Birmingham Green Refresh of the landscaping and seating on 20th Street North has made a positive impact, Saab said.
“It is pedestrian friendly, and tables now line the streets,” he said. “It’s a very festive area. Foot traffic has improved dramatically over the last year.”
“We certainly hope that our out-of-town guests and athletes will have the opportunity to try true Southern BBQ throughout their stay,” said David Maluff, co-owner with his brother Joe Maluff of Full Moon Bar-B-Que.
The Maluffs have several Full Moon locations in the Birmingham area, including Southside, UAB and Hoover.
The chain is not doing anything different with its marketing or advertising during the Games, David Maluff said.
“While we are not doing anything specific, we are always promoting our restaurants on social media,” he said.
“The culinary scene in Birmingham is top-notch, and we admire the efforts that all of our local restaurants put in to putting Birmingham and Alabama on the map in terms of some of the best food in the country,” David Maluff said.
“We hope that those visiting Birmingham will leave with a whole new view of what Birmingham has to offer,” he said.
The REV Birmingham website, downtownbhm.com, is a resource for visitors to find those “authentic experiences,” Fleming said.
“We’ll be promoting tools like that to help visitors get the best of Birmingham throughout the Games,” he said.