Community corporations see uptick forward of Masters Match week

AIKEN, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) – Right now marks two weeks from the start of the 2021 Masters event.

And whilst we’re all ready to observe some golfing at the Augusta Countrywide, our nearby enterprises may well be hunting forward to it even more.

With at the very least some patrons permitted in this time about, business enterprise homeowners say they’re optimistic they’ll see a little raise.

Even though it won’t be the exact same hurry they are used to, firms in downtown Aiken say it is still an advancement on previous yr.

“It’s been quite frightening,” Peggy Penland said.

Penland entrepreneurs the Inn at Houndslake, and for resort entrepreneurs like her, a further Masters with no comprehensive patrons usually means a further 12 months without the need of total income.

“It’s a major portion of our profits. And I imagine most inns, hoteliers, that is how they endure through the winter,” she stated.

It’s been a match of survival considering that COVID forced Aiken to cancel other massive spring occasions final 12 months.

“It was a quadruple whammy since we lost three of our large equine activities and the masters all at the exact same time,” President David Jameson of the Aiken Chamber of Commerce mentioned.

But he tells us it is due to the fact folks traveled a lot less and shopped nearby far more, some enterprises listed here in downtown Aiken actually did much better in 2020 than 2019.

“They stayed dwelling this calendar year, so they nevertheless essential goods and products and services,” Jameson stated.

And he says even without the need of a entire crowd this year, there is nonetheless optimism in the town.

“Certainly, we overlook the Masters patrons and we overlook the equine patrons for our other situations, but we’re likely to arrive out of this alright,”

As for Penland, she suggests they’ve by now noticed an uptick in company as opposed to final yr, and the typical prospects are one cause they are being afloat.

“They’re hanging with us. They have an understanding of that we’re a smaller small business and we haven’t laid off any workers and we’re fortuitous. We’re fortuitous to have survived all this… we will endure,” she said.

We also checked in with some accommodations on the Ga aspect of the river. They say even nevertheless patrons are limited, reservations are still filling up quickly.

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