Businesses anticipate increased sales during Little 500 festivities

As many alumni and tourists flock to Bloomington during Little 500, restaurants, hotels and bars are gearing up for one of the busiest times of the year.

Jillian Prall, manager for Kilroy’s on Kirkwood, said they are fully staffed every night and have amped up security.

“It’s our favorite time of the year.” Prall said. “We get a lot of excited people. A lot of alumni come back. A lot of students come in from other universities. We just try to throw some great shows and show everybody a great time.”

Prall said Little 500 makes Kilroy’s a hot spot for tourists.

“It brings a lot of the people to the bar, and different artists are coming down for that week that wouldn’t be interested coming down a random Monday in Bloomington,” she said.

However, Troy Donovan, co-owner of Macri’s at the Depot, said his business actually hurt in sales from Little 500 last year.

“Last year my business was half of what it would be on a weekend,” Donovan said. “We were simply so new that students didn’t know about us. This year it’s the exact opposite.”

This year Donovan said he expects 50-percent more in sales than he would on a normal weekend. He also said he plans to have 20-percent more staff working during the week.

“Different parties come to our restaurant and our bar upstairs,” Donovan said. “We always try to accommodate them. We always have people that want to have come back and have the same experience.”

Mike McAfee, executive director for Visit Bloomington, said Little 500 is a lot different than it used to be.

“Years ago, the market would be sold out for hotels rooms for this weekend,” McAfee said. “Younger alumni are coming back and staying with their friends on campus. I know there are hundreds of hotel rooms available. It’s still significant on the economy as far as people going out to dinner and enjoying everything Bloomington has to offer.”

McAfee said it’s a long-standing, traditional event because it has the power to bring people to Bloomington on its own.

“People are out in the restaurants and bars more than usual,” he said. “Certainly you feel the impact of that all week long and more money being spent.”

Rachel Weigler, director of sales for Hampton Inn Bloomington, said, as of Wednesday evening, there were still rooms available for this weekend.

She said most of the check-ins are expected on Friday and the hotel is preparing for a very busy weekend by adding extra staff, especially on Friday and Saturday.

Weigler said many people are geared to Bloomington during Little 500 as a result of the event’s national recognition.

“It’s the fact that IU alumni are around the country at this point,” Weigler said. “I think they want to come back and experience that all over again. It’s nostalgia.”