MINNEAPOLIS — A month ago, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey discussed his plan to revitalize downtown Minneapolis.
Since the plan was announced, the region has hosted Twin Cities Pride, two Taylor Swift concerts, and the Taste of Minnesota. The trio of events brought in over 500,000 people.
Some businesses said they were able to thrive when big events are in town but struggle without them.
Saturday was a good business day for Kieran's Irish Pub. Dani Rauton, the pub's general manager said he was glad to see crowds start to return, but lamented the unpredictability of business.
"There's a big difference between event days and non-event days," said Rauton. "It's unbelievable how different they are, it makes staffing hard."
Rauton said events are vital to keeping businesses afloat.
Minneapolis Downtown Council President and CEO Steve Cramer said events are the most significant part of downtown revitalization.
"People coming back to do things that you can only do downtown has really been a leading edge of our recovery," said Cramer. "And I think that helps to restore confidence generally in the environment downtown."
The weekend of Twin Cities Pride and Taylor Swift's shows brought in about 500,000 guests. The Taste of Minnesota brought in another 100,000.
"It's great seeing downtown thrive again," said Yoom Nguyen, whose family owns and operates the Lotus Restaurant.
He said downtown events put his businesses in a good spot.
Today, the eatery was welcoming folks from the Convergence Science Fiction and Fantasy convention.
He said the shop is actually in a perfect place, partly because of its longevity in the community.
"We're the kitchen of the neighborhood pretty much," he said. "And things are getting better."
He expressed hope that the bad days are behind him and there are more good business days ahead.
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