BLACKSBURG, Va. – Hokie Nation is gearing up for the big Thursday night football game and so are local businesses, who are excited for the incoming customers.
“So, I’ve been preparing since yesterday, because I don’t know, I’m expecting a lot,” Karmen George, owner of Halwa Bakery and Cafe said.
She said Virginia Tech football always brings in a huge crowd, but having the game on Thursday means she has to get ready for new customers even earlier.
“I bake a lot, I put a lot of employees behind the counter, so that’s a lot of preparing for the game,” George said.
She told us with the Hokies playing at home and having her shop right next to the university, lots of people will come and try her menu and then want to come back — giving her more traction on other days.
“It’s packed, I love when the football game is here in town because it makes a lot of business impact in a good way for a lot of local businesses so if it’s a home game it brings all the people to the town, and brings all the business in town,” George said.
She said many people come for coffee and dessert at her bakery, and she also enjoys seeing other restaurants and bars getting a boost from game day as well.
“I’m so happy because all the local businesses, it’s having this crowd and they are having good business,” George said.
The Hokies take on Syracuse at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, but local businesses tell us they are preparing for the entire weekend as well.