In comparison to previous years, many local Columbia businesses said not only did they rake in more dough this year for the centennial Homecoming celebration, but their establishments were also more packed compared to previous years.
“We knew it was going to be a really busy weekend,” Shakespeare’s Pizza manager Jessi Weir said. “Every Homecoming weekend is a busy weekend.”
The crowd at Shakespeare’s didn’t just stick around on game day.
“We were busy Friday and after the game,” Weir said. “Saturday was definitely the busiest, but we were also busy on Sunday.”
Bengals Bar and Grill manager Darrin Salberg said this Homecoming was more crowded than previous years.
“Because this was the centennial of the Homecoming, (it) absolutely made Bengals even more crowded than usual Homecomings,” Salberg said.
With the huge influx of alumni, local businesses bore one fact in mind: These people all had to eat. Local restaurants and bars filled in the void that tailgating did not.
“Business was fantastic,” The Rome manager Chad Hilgeford said. “Because it was the centennial, there were more people in town.”
When it came to business at the Heidelberg, manager Jim Evans said expectations were definitely met.
“Business was great,” Evans said. “It was more spread out this year. We had a pre-game lunch crowd, post-game drinking crowd, a dinner crowd, etc.”
Campus Bar and Grill and Addison’s felt the larger rush of people as well.
“It was a good homecoming,” Addison’s manager Jeremy Brown said. “It was definitely more crowded here due to the fact that it was a one o’clock game.”
Campus Bar & Grill manager Matt Hudson said the timing of the game helped business pick up.
“The one o’clock game worked out great for us,” manager Matt Hudson said.
To prepare for the centennial Homecoming, many Columbia businesses had stocked up more than usual on inventory, utilized more of their staff members and changed their hours, among other activities to accommodate large crowds.