Blumenthal's Big Economic Impact on Local Businesses

A robust and accessible arts scene is often cited as an important indicator of quality of life in a city. We know the arts help build community. They engage, entertain, educate and delight. But one aspect often gets overlooked—the arts can have a tremendous impact on local economies.

 

Non-profit arts and cultural organizations located in Charlotte’s Center City and their audiences pump more than $216 million into the economy, according to Arts & Economic Prosperity 5, a study published in 2017 by Americans for the Arts. That boost comes partly in the form of direct employment opportunities and overhead costs but also through related expenditures made by audience members at other local businesses, such as parking garages, restaurants, and hotels. Arts organizations provide a continual engine that spurs economic activity and Blumenthal Performing Arts plays a big role in this equation. Check out these numbers:

 

• More than 1,000 events take place every year in Blumenthal’s theaters, classrooms and meeting rooms, including productions made by16 Resident Companies.
• The organization programs 18-weeks of Broadway shows annually—that’s the largest Broadway season anywhere in the Carolinas.
• Blumenthal hosts a wide variety of attractions from concerts and comedy acts to huge multi-day events, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors with diverse interests uptown every year.
• Blumenthal infuses more than $50 million annually into the local economy.

So how exactly do these events and attendees affect the bottom line of other local businesses?

 

 

A STEADY STREAM OF CLIENTELE

 

For Pierre Bader, proprietor of Aria Tuscan Grill (and the soon to open Cicchetti), location is key. Situated in Founders Hall, his restaurants are steps from Belk Theater, Booth Playhouse and Stage Door Theater. While that convenience factor has helped contribute to Aria’s popularity for pre- and post-show diners, Bader believes Blumenthal’s constant stream of programming provides a lifeblood for many other uptown businesses too.

 

“The impact is huge. The thing about theater is it's unlike a sporting event … most of these plays are in for a week or two weeks,” says Bader. “...It generates income for everyone and it is awesome for the city.”

 

 

FILLING MORE TABLES

 

Typical dinner reservations at Aria are for 7 or 7:30pm, according to Bader, but pre-show diners come earlier and that helps add an additional seating for the restaurant. That means an uptick in overall sales as well as more opportunities for servers and bar staff to earn tips.

 

Chad Tucker, General Manager of Ruth’s Chris Steak House in Uptown Charlotte, has noticed a similar phenomenon at his restaurant. He and his team keep an eye on the shows Blumenthal programs to ensure adequate staffing.  Even during the holiday season when business is traditionally strong, Blumenthal’s impact was palpable. “It was nice to see that early hour spike,” says Tucker. But without a doubt, the biggest bump in pre-show dinner business happened when HAMILTON came to Charlotte last fall; Ruth’s Chris actually adjusted its schedule to open earlier in anticipation of increased demand.

 

Other restaurants felt that impact too. Bader estimates Aria had a 35% increase in sales during the HAMILTON run, with customers converging on Charlotte from all over the state. “It was 30 days literally straight,” he says.

 

At Chima Steakhouse, which serves authentic Brazilian churrascaria, the restaurant saw an increase in sales of about 10% during the HAMILTON run. “All shows drive a lot of business to our restaurant,” says Chima’s General Manager, Fernandez Neto, whose restaurant welcomes an average of 30 - 40 Blumenthal show attendees during a typical week. He is able to track this information thanks to a promotional offer available to Blumenthal ticket holders.

 

While many uptown restaurants benefit from their proximity to Blumenthal’s stages, some establishments—including Chima and Ruth’s Chris—have decided to take their relationship with the theater a step further by offering a discount to ticket holders. (Find the complete list of Parking, Restaurant and Hospitality Partners at the end of this story.)

 

BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH CUSTOMERS

 

Many PNC Broadway Lights Series Season subscribers come back to these restaurants repeatedly. “[W]e have built quite a few relationships with customers that are now regulars,” says Neto.

 

At Aria too, staff really get to know their theater-going guests who have been coming for years. Bader smiles as he gives examples: Mr. X who can’t eat salt and dislikes a particular green, Ms. Y who likes her martini served straight up, and certain couples who have a favorite table or server.

 

“The theater crowd is educated, innovative,” says Bader. “These are your customers.”

 

When shows stick around for a while, some restaurants also get to know the cast and crew who are visiting Charlotte for a week or more. That’s a frequent occurrence at Mert’s Heart & Soul, which specializes in Southern Cuisine, especially Low Country and Gullah-inspired dishes. It’s  located just behind Belk Theater’s stage door entrance on College Street and has long been a favorite destination of visiting show companies.

 

“We really enjoy those who have long performances there,” says Owner James Bazzelle. “We really get to know them. We see them twice a week or something.”

 

Word of mouth about the restaurant’s great food and warm welcome has spread over the years too. Bazzelle traces that special relationship back to 2003 and the first national tour of THE LION KING. That was the first visiting Broadway production to offer Mert’s a show poster signed by the full cast and crew. Bazzelle says he’s received more than 20 of them over the years. More unusual gifts have come too—like the signed garbage can lid from the hit show STOMP. You can see many of these signed items on display at Mert’s.

 

“A lot of those guys do different shows. They tell other casts, ‘When you come to Charlotte you got to go to Mert’s.’... In your house, you’re going to take care of your family,” says Bazelle. “In Charlotte, they’re our family.”

Over the years, Mert’s Heart & Soul has has also hosted a number of opening night parties for visiting shows.“Blumenthal has been a great neighbor of ours,” says Bazzelle. “We always try to help them out.”

 

But it’s not all about the traveling shows either. Bazelle has loved seeing how JazzArts Charlotte as well as other local arts organizations have become regular draws for people to come uptown. “What I really like about Blumenthal and Tom (Gabbard, Blumenthal’s CEO) is that they always try to get the community to perform,” he says.

 

Aria’s Bader also points to the local production of Charlotte Squawks (now playing through June 23) as a stand out show for drawing young people to the theater and to area restaurants through its hilarious content (pop culture, sports, politics and more) combined with affordable pricing. “I think they’ve done an awesome job with that one,” says Bader.

 

PARKING, DINING AND HOTEL DISCOUNTS

 

Be sure to make your visit to your next Blumenthal show complete by taking advantage of these special discounts offered to our ticket holders by area businesses.

 

Click here to see all of Blumenthal’s preferred parking partners

Click here to see all of Blumenthal’s preferred dining and hotel partners