GREENSBORO, N.C. —
Broadway is back and business is booming in downtown Greensboro.
The long-awaited musical "WICKED" wrapped up its first set of performances at the Tanger Center this past week.
It's a sign of promising change for many downtown businesses excited to get a boost in customer traffic. News 2 spoke with reps from businesses right across from the Tanger Center, The Porterhouse Burger Company, and Lawn Service, a coffee bar. They both said these past few days were great serving so many people who attended the broadway shows.
According to the North Carolina Department of Commerce, in 2020 Guilford County had nearly a 50% drop in visitor spending compared to 2019.
The owner of Porterhouse Burger said they've been waiting for the Tanger Center to open for quite some time and they anticipated the visitor turnout Wicked brought in.
"We definitely saw people from out of state and from out of the area. We saw local people too. This show Wicked, in particular, is a really nice draw and certainly exciting to have here," said Eric Porter.
Right next door at Lawn Service, a coffee bar, employee Maris Jones said it was a fun time being able to work during the rush. Along with the large crowds, they were also able to serve the folks who helped put "WICKED" together.
"We met cast members and crew members and people who helped put the sets together. It's been interesting learning the ends and outs a little bit and just getting to meet people from different places," said Jones.
We spoke with other businesses downtown that say they also benefited from the show.
WICKED is here in Greensboro until Oct. 26.