An ESPN van camped out at City Diner, which added dinner service. (Photos by Burl Rolett)
Businesses on Broad Street and Boulevard are looking to make some extra green in the coming weeks by sporting red.
The Washington Redskins on Thursday opened training camp at their Leigh Street practice facility. Businesses in the surrounding area are using expanded hours, extra manpower, Redskins-themed menu items and even a giant RGIII duck to make the most of the buzz around the three-week camp.
It’s a boost that Meghan McClure, manager at Broad Street sports bar Gus’ Bar & Grill, said the restaurant could use.
Car Pool’s duck channels RGIII.
“Usually we really hurt in the summer as far as sales go,” McClure said.
Gus’ usually reduces its staff for the summer months, but the restaurant tripled its lunchtime wait staff on Thursday to handle the crowd.
A few blocks away, City Diner has also increased its staff. The restaurant, which is one of several from which ESPN 950 will broadcast during camp, has added dinner service. City Diner has previously served only breakfast and lunch but plans to stay open for dinner long after the Redskins leave.
“We’re hoping that will jumpstart it and we’ll keep going,” general manager Bert Rueger said.
Mobile outfits are also hoping to cash in on training camp. RVA Street Foodies is sending several food trucks to Hardywood Park Craft Brewery each day. The brewery’s tasting room, which is typically only open from Wednesday to Saturday, will be serving drafts every day that practice is open to the public.
Pizza Tonight’s mobile outfit has also switched its routes, and it parked Thursday at Car Pool Car Wash on Boulevard. They’ve added a pepperoni, chorizo and bacon pizza dubbed the RG3 for the training camp.
They aren’t the only business piggybacking Redskins star quarterback Robert Griffin III. Gus’ has a foot-long sirloin steak sub named after the signal caller, and Car Pool has added a Griffin jersey-clad duck mascot to its promotional arsenal.
Correction: A previous version of this story misidentified the Car Pool Car Wash mascot as a chicken. It is a duck.
An ESPN van camped out at City Diner, which added dinner service. (Photos by Burl Rolett)
Businesses on Broad Street and Boulevard are looking to make some extra green in the coming weeks by sporting red.
The Washington Redskins on Thursday opened training camp at their Leigh Street practice facility. Businesses in the surrounding area are using expanded hours, extra manpower, Redskins-themed menu items and even a giant RGIII duck to make the most of the buzz around the three-week camp.
It’s a boost that Meghan McClure, manager at Broad Street sports bar Gus’ Bar & Grill, said the restaurant could use.
Car Pool’s duck channels RGIII.
“Usually we really hurt in the summer as far as sales go,” McClure said.
Gus’ usually reduces its staff for the summer months, but the restaurant tripled its lunchtime wait staff on Thursday to handle the crowd.
A few blocks away, City Diner has also increased its staff. The restaurant, which is one of several from which ESPN 950 will broadcast during camp, has added dinner service. City Diner has previously served only breakfast and lunch but plans to stay open for dinner long after the Redskins leave.
“We’re hoping that will jumpstart it and we’ll keep going,” general manager Bert Rueger said.
Mobile outfits are also hoping to cash in on training camp. RVA Street Foodies is sending several food trucks to Hardywood Park Craft Brewery each day. The brewery’s tasting room, which is typically only open from Wednesday to Saturday, will be serving drafts every day that practice is open to the public.
Pizza Tonight’s mobile outfit has also switched its routes, and it parked Thursday at Car Pool Car Wash on Boulevard. They’ve added a pepperoni, chorizo and bacon pizza dubbed the RG3 for the training camp.
They aren’t the only business piggybacking Redskins star quarterback Robert Griffin III. Gus’ has a foot-long sirloin steak sub named after the signal caller, and Car Pool has added a Griffin jersey-clad duck mascot to its promotional arsenal.
Correction: A previous version of this story misidentified the Car Pool Car Wash mascot as a chicken. It is a duck.