KU victory brings more attention to local Lawrence businesses
LAWRENCE (KSNT) - It's been a big weekend in Lawrence not only for fans of football, but business owners in the area as well.
“It’s been a great day for us," Co-Owner of Latchkey Deli Chetan Michie said. "We’ve been in the service industry downtown coming on 10 years now. This is our restaurant that we just started a couple years ago. It definitely falls into place as soon as KU does well we do well, and the entire town does well.”
Having more bodies in Lawrence from the football team doing well means more eyes on the unique local shops and restaurants that call Lawrence home.
“Especially with the kids coming back, everyone gets excited for sports," Co-Owner of Rudy’s Pizzeria Rob Zernickow said. "This is a great opportunity for people that haven’t had the experience of downtown Lawrence to come down and experience that. Our small town atmosphere, lot of local places to visit, lot of undiscovered places that you may not normally go to. That’s a perfect opportunity for so many people that come in.”
Welcoming students, parents, and alumni to one place for celebration and gathering, means a lot for local independent business, especially as many are still recovering from the impact of the pandemic.
“Supporting your local restaurants and your local businesses, especially right now with what’s going on, is incredibly important for our community," Michie said.
“It helps out a lot of the smaller independent run businesses that might not have the benefit from the corporate infrastructure or backing," Zernickow said. "We encourage everyone here on Mass Street to support local, do what you can. We are here for you and you are here for us.”
Hopefully there will be cause for celebration again next weekend, when KU takes on Iowa State in Lawrence.