The Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships is underway at the SAP Center and the four-day competition is a big draw for fans, and it’s big business for the city of San Jose.
Business has been improving for restaurants like Cafe Rosalena, and it’s about to get better.
“You know, it’s a mini invasion of downtown, and we’re really happy to be here,” said Jill Geer, chief marketing officer for USA Gymnastics.
The gymnastics championships are back in town and generating tens of millions of dollars for the local economy.
“Oh, yeah, we definitely see it,” said David Darrough, co-owner of Cafe Rosalena. “We’re just blocks away from where the Shark Tank is, so we have a lot of action around here.”
Restaurants and hotels, still counting their profits from the Taylor Swift concerts, now get gymnasts including gold medalists Simone biles and Suni Lee.
“All told, we’ve got about 3,000 participants coming in from all over the country, and then tens of thousands of fans here in the arena over the course of the weekend,” said Geer.
Followed by Beyonce herself next week, all bringing people in from far away, and they need places to stay, and eat.
“When you get a lot of out-of-towners, a lot of people don’t really know where to go to eat,” said Darrough. “For us, it’s a great way to meet new customers.”