11 hours ago
Fort Lauderdale businesses booming ahead of Panthers Championship Parade
Hundreds of thousands of fans are expected to flood Fort Lauderdale Beach this Sunday to celebrate the Florida Panthers' Stanley Cup win, according to city officials and the surge of visitors is bringing a major boost to businesses along A1A.
While summer is typically the slower season for tourism and hospitality, local hotels and restaurants say they're booked solid and bracing for one of the busiest weekends of the year.
Parade Brings Business Surge Along A1A
"Our ordering already has changed three times in the past 24 hours. Our vendors are calling, asking, 'Are you sure?' Hey, jack up the order, double it, triple it," said Dante Reveyoso, general manager of Riviera Restaurant in the Hotel Maren, located at the end of the parade route.
Reveyoso said the hotel is fully booked and the restaurant is already at reservation capacity as they prepare for a flood of paradegoers.
At the start of the parade route, The Atlantic Hotel & Spa is also at full occupancy. Managers say guests began extending their stays right after the Panthers clinched the championship Tuesday night.
"Just to have a championship again and a second championship, you can imagine the pride that we all take in being a part of the process," said Renee McKinney-Callender, director of human resources at The Atlantic Hotel & Spa.
Bars, restaurants preparing for full house
Bo's Beach, which offers a front-row view of the main stage, is opening early at 8 a.m. on Sunday. The venue will be fully staffed and seating will be on a first-come, first-served basis.
"You can see them getting off the van, the bus, the cars, the trailers — everything just coming through — and you can just see the Cup right there. It's amazing," said Lindsay Ravenell, director of events at Bo's Beach.
With fans already thinking ahead, Ravenell said excitement for a repeat championship is already in the air.
"Let's do another one. Let's do a triple, it's coming. We can hold it down," she said.
