After visiting some Market Street businesses last week, we headed over to King Street to out how they were faring the Spoleto crowds. While Market Street businesses didn’t seem to be as affected, we found a completely different vibe on King Street.
Jodie Battles, the general manager at Fish, says, “We’ve been really lucky to see consistent business.” Being located next to the American Theater, Fish gets a lot of traffic from Spoleto attendees before and after shows. Battles explains that business has been comparable to last year’s flow during Spoleto, but two years ago was definitely better.
Anna Hogue, an employee at Virginia’s on King Street, explains that they have remained steady and consistent with last year’s business. Hogue says, “It’s busier than it would be without Spoleto going on,” but Virginia’s stays consistently busy from open to close.
Nearby shops have also felt positive effects. Angela Hall, owner of Aster Hall, says, “Spoleto has been beneficial. It’s brought in business without a doubt,” Hall says.
Seeking Indigo, on the other hand, has not seen a heavy flow of Spoleto tourists. Employee Misty Dahl explains that over the weeks of Spoleto, business has been sporadic. “One week it’s busy, then another week it’s dead.” Misty describes the streets as being a “ghost town” lately, with days where no one comes in for several hours.
As for businesses on George Street, they receive a lot of customers on the weekends thanks to their proximity to the Cistern and the Simons Center. Fresh Berry Yogurt has seen a big improvement in business during Spoleto. “It’s been better this year, people know who we are now,” says employee Melanie Cummings.
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