OMAHA, Ne. (KMTV) — During the peak of pandemic shut downs, many businesses struggled. Now that restrictions have loosened and vaccines are underway, many businesses say they are seeing revenue steadily pick back up.
"We closed down a lot of our locations and kept some of them for to go orders and beverages, which helped maintain employment for some of the staff which was nice and when we opened back up there were obviously regulations so it’s kind of slower to pick up," Patricia Webb, shift lead at Dj's Dugout said.
In person events, like NCAA Volleyball, restarting in the downtown area has allowed businesses to see more revenue.
"We’ve been really excited of course people are feeling more comfortable being out and about, feeling comfortable with the safety precautions restaurants are taking and vaccinations are increasing. So we’re feeling better being outside, we’ve seen a lot more foot traffic downtown again," Krisy Byers, Marketing Director for Addy's Sports Bar and Grill said.
While CHI center has hosted a few events in the past few months, the second wave of the U.S. Olympic Swim Trials has brought a increased boost.
"We’ve already seen this week are seasoned athletes businesses coming in more corporate events are happening and booking with us it’s been great really excited we didn’t know what to expect being brand new," Byers said.
The swim trials are a good precursor to the upcoming College World Series according to Byers and Webb. Both restaurants are preparing for the event which they believe will bring in much anticipated business with not only Omaha residents enjoying the fun, but the expected travelers.
"Gaving the CWS I’m excited because it’ll bring the out of towners and people traveling so we’ll have the hotels right by here and hopefully have some foot tragic it feels more normal now," Webb said.
