ORLANDO, Fla. — Downtown Orlando businesses are gearing up for a very busy weekend with March Madness at the Amway Center, St. Patrick’s Day, spring break, as well as an Orlando City soccer game.
What You Need To Know
- March Madness got underway in Orlando on Thursday afternoon, with fans flowing in and out of Church Street
- Last year, March was a record-breaking month for Orlando, bringing in $38.5 million in tourism development tax
- Meanwhile, the City of Orlando is looking at two new proposals for downtown safety
With so many events underway, bartenders are gearing up for what could be a good weekend to make money. Kye Slider, a bartender at Bullitt Bar, says she’s hoping to walk home with a lot of tips.
“I am going to root high and say hopefully double just because we have a lot more people in town. I am hoping with all the bartenders that’s what we hope we make this weekend,” she said. “It’s just a lot more foot traffic which is really good for us.”
Some bars owners told Spectrum News 13 they are bringing in extra staff to be able to handle the crowds.
“St. Patrick’s Day by itself would tax us and keep us full. We are adding extra help to help with the basketball crowds that are coming. I know Church Street and Wall Street are doing block-offs so they can have room and handle the crowds,” said Anthony Tobin, general manager of Harp & Celt Irish Pub.
In 2022, March was a record-breaking month for the city, bringing in $38.5 million in tourism development tax.
Though they will not be in place for this weekend, the City of Orlando is currently looking at two proposals to work to make downtown a safer place as it grows.
The first proposal is a nightclub moratorium, which would prevent any new nightclubs from opening in the downtown area for the next six months.
The other proposal would require bars to have extra safety measures in place, including metal detectors.
If approved, the nightclub moratorium would go into effect as soon as Monday.