CHARLOTTE, N.C. — $77 million, $38 million, $2.3 billion, those are just some of the economic impact numbers thrown around after big-time sporting events visit the state of North Carolina.
But, a local business in Charlotte, fresh of the 2023 Wells Fargo Championship, says the impact on business is more than just money. It’s also exposure, access and future business.
The Wells Fargo Championship brings about $77 million in economic impact to the Charlotte region annually, according to numbers provided by Quail Hollow Club staff.
Last fall, during the 2022 Presidents Cup held at the same course, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said golf’s impact on the state was in the billions, not millions.
“Golf, just golf itself, in North Carolina, a direct $2.3 billion impact and in excess of $4 billion in indirect impact. So, we know that it makes a difference! When I talk to CEOs, especially across the world, I talk about North Carolina’s 520 golf courses,” Cooper said at the time.
The Vintage Goat tap truck, a small business that operated at the Wells Fargo Championship, said it’s the best week of business it has ever had.
“Oh my gosh, well the feedback we received was absolutely phenomenal. We actually booked a client at the event, which was really fun,” owner Lauren Grohe said. “I woke up yesterday and my email was just flooded with different requests. We had an investor stop by the truck, so hopefully making dreams come true after this.”
After introducing herself and the business to Quail Hollow Club last year, Grohe said they were asked to take part in the event each day of the tournament, dispensing drinks and tap truck merchandise to roughly 1,000 golf fans a day.
“This is definitely a passion project, and it was something easy that the kids could understand. So, we refer to it as the world’s most expensive lemonade stand,” Grohe said about the year-old business, which she and her husband started to teach their children entrepreneurship skills.
The truck can dispense five hot or cold drinks from its taps and was purchased and fabricated in Italy. Grohe explained it is usually set up at weddings, outdoor events, festivals and, now, golf tournaments.
“We tried to connect with every vendor that we had available at the Wells Fargo Championship. Manolo’s Bakery was right next to us. I have dreams of opening up a high-tea bakery, he’s actually going to allow me to come shadow him and his business, to learn a little bit more. So, I love when small businesses can kind of pull together and teach each other,” Grohe said about their week at Quail Hollow.
Overall, she said they made a handful of connections with other vendors, striking deals on future collaborations, partnerships and other ventures. Additionally, the Vintage Goat received more than a dozen serious inquiries for future bookings, including one deal struck on-site during the weekend.
Charlotte is no stranger to big-time sporting events giving a boost to local business. Just last fall, Cuzzo’s Cuisine said the 2022 Presidents Cup was a game changer for its local restaurant chain.
The 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup soccer tournament will play some games in Charlotte this summer. The last time games were held here, it brought in roughly $38 million in economic impact, according to data sent to Spectrum News 1.
In 2021, the Duke’s Mayo Classic game between Clemson and Georgia brought in more than $26 million in visitor spending to the city, according to the Charlotte Sports Foundation.