MANCHESTER, Conn. — Business owners along the main drag of Manchester are eagerly anticipating Thursday's road race.
The race delivers foot traffic from tens of thousands of racers and revelers on Main Street in Manchester, benefiting local businesses such as Mulberry Street Pizza and Silk City Coffee.
Bob Sulick, the owner of Mulberry Street Pizza, is gearing up for his 20th year of opening early on Thanksgiving Day. Sulick and his wife, Dee, open their doors from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. each Thanksgiving for the road race crowd.
“We have people lined up ready to go because this is their tradition," Sulick said. “The city and the village charm really means something to the people in Manchester and I think the road race and the week around the race centers on that.”
Manchester Mayor Jay Moran said he looks forward to the road race for an array of reasons including that the local businesses see a benefit.
"First of all, it brings in all these outside people, it’s great for our local businesses, especially on road race morning," Moran said.
Silk City Coffee has been a favorite caffeination destination on Main Street for the past 8 years. Owner Tammy Gerhard makes it her mission to have her team ready for the rush before the race, with an expected 12,000 runners and perhaps an upwards of 30,000 fans.
“People are up early for this race, they want to be caffeinated and ready to go," Gerhard said. "There are so many family members who aren’t running but want a safe, warm happy space to watch the race so they show up at Silk City [Coffee]."
Sulick added that Thanksgiving Day is more than just about doing business.
“It’s nice to have something that’s so local and so solidified and so nice,” Sulick said. “The whole idea is to be a community center, to bring people together.”
Main Street business owners welcome Manchester Road Race tradition
Jimmy Altman is a reporter at FOX61 News. He can be reached at jaltman@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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