POINT STATE PARK TONIGHT WITH THAT STORY. THINGS ARE COMING BACK TO LIFE HERE AS THE CONSTRUCTION FROM THE DRAFT COMES DOWN. HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE OVER THE WEEKEND TAKING ADVANTAGE OF WHAT THE NFL HAD TO OFFER WITHIN THE DRAFT CAMPUS. AND THEN JUST A LITTLE BIT OF SPILL OVER BEYOND THAT. SO WHILE SOME LOCAL BUSINESSES WERE ABLE TO CASH IN THIS WEEKEND, OTHERS LOST OUT AS FANS EXITED THE NORTH SHORE DRAFT CAMPUS, THEY SPILLED STRAIGHT INTO BARS AND RESTAURANTS ON NORTH SHORE DRIVE. IT’S PROBABLY ABOUT FOUR TIMES WHAT WE NORMALLY DO FOR OUR BUSIEST, BUSIEST STEELER GAME WE WERE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH IN THREE DAYS WHAT WE WOULD NORMALLY DO IN A MONTH, PLUS A GREAT WEEKEND FOR SOME BUSINESS OWNERS, BUT IN THE REST OF THE CITY, THOSE OWNERS SAY IT WAS A GHOST TOWN. EVEN IN PLACES LIKE THE STRIP DISTRICT, WHERE SPORTS FANS FLOCK ON A NORMAL STEELERS SUNDAY. SO THEN WE REBOOK OUR MERCHANDISE SIX MONTHS AHEAD OF TIME, AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, THE DRAFT COMES AND THERE WAS NO ONE TO CAME. BUT IT WASN’T JUST VISITORS THAT DIDN’T SHOW UP. IT WAS LOCALS TOO. MESSAGING FROM PITTSBURGH, THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH ABOUT HOW BUSY IT WOULD BE DOWN HERE. KIND OF SCARED OFF OUR REGULAR CUSTOMERS. AND JUST WITH THE PARKING ADVERTISEMENTS, $100 A DAY HERE, $100 A DAY THERE, OUR NORMAL REGULARS AREN’T GOING TO COME DOWNTOWN AND PAY THAT TO GO TO WORK WHEN THEY CAN WORK FROM HOME. EVERYONE WE SPOKE TO SAYS THEY’RE GRATEFUL THE DRAFT CLEANED UP THE CITY AND THAT THERE’S MORE EYES ON IT. THEY HOPE IT COULD BRING PEOPLE BACK. THERE WAS SO MUCH GOING ON DOWN THERE AND PEOPLE WERE REALLY HAPPY TO BE DOWN THERE. BUT I THINK OUR ATTITUDE IS THAT WE’LL SEE RESIDUAL EFFECTS FROM IT, BECAUSE THEY DID SUCH A GOOD JOB WITH THE WHOLE DRAFT THAT PEOPLE REALLY LIKED PITTSBURGH AND THE WAY THEY WERE WELCOMED HERE. THIS ALL COMING DOWN. BUT THEN NEW CONSTRUCTION COMING UP IN JUST A FEW DAYS AHEAD OF MARATHON WEEKEND CONSTRUCTION AT THE POINT WILL START ON WEDNESDAYS AND THEN SOME ROAD CLOSURES DOWNTOWN WILL START ON FRIDAY
Pittsburgh businesses report mixed results from record-breaking NFL draft
Updated: 7:15 AM EDT Apr 27, 2026
The NFL draft brought an estimated 805,000 attendees to Pittsburgh, setting a record for the event, but local businesses reported mixed results from the influx of visitors. As fans exited the North Shore draft campus, many headed to nearby bars and restaurants.”It’s probably about four times what we normally do for our busiest, busiest Steeler game,” said Eric Bishop at Burgatory. “We were able to accomplish in three days what we would normally do in a month plus.” While some businesses thrived, others in the city struggled. Jim Coen, owner of Yinzers in the Burgh in the Strip District, said, “Typically, we get like 100,000 people for a Steeler home game. So, we’re thinking 700,000. Then, we’re going to get maybe three to five times more than that. So then we pre-booked merchandise six months ahead of time, and all of a sudden the draft comes, and there was no one that came.”Many locals also avoided the city, too. “Messaging from Pittsburgh, the city of Pittsburgh, about how busy it would be down here, kind of scared off our regular customers. And, just with the parking advertising $100 a day here, $100 a day there, our normal regulars aren’t going to come downtown and pay that to go to work when they can work from home,” said Farrah Rahimzadeh, owner of Mama Lucia Pizzeria in Downtown Pittsburgh. Despite the challenges, most are thankful for the draft’s impact on the city, cleaning it up and bringing attention to it.”Not really what we would call successful, and understandably. There was so much going on down there, and people were really happy to be down there. But I think our attitude is that we’ll see residual effects from it, because they did such a good job with the whole draft that people really liked Pittsburgh and the way they were welcomed here.”
PITTSBURGH —
The NFL draft brought an estimated 805,000 attendees to Pittsburgh, setting a record for the event, but local businesses reported mixed results from the influx of visitors.
As fans exited the North Shore draft campus, many headed to nearby bars and restaurants.
“It’s probably about four times what we normally do for our busiest, busiest Steeler game,” said Eric Bishop at Burgatory. “We were able to accomplish in three days what we would normally do in a month plus.”
While some businesses thrived, others in the city struggled.
Jim Coen, owner of Yinzers in the Burgh in the Strip District, said, “Typically, we get like 100,000 people for a Steeler home game. So, we’re thinking 700,000. Then, we’re going to get maybe three to five times more than that. So then we pre-booked merchandise six months ahead of time, and all of a sudden the draft comes, and there was no one that came.”
Many locals also avoided the city, too.
“Messaging from Pittsburgh, the city of Pittsburgh, about how busy it would be down here, kind of scared off our regular customers. And, just with the parking advertising $100 a day here, $100 a day there, our normal regulars aren’t going to come downtown and pay that to go to work when they can work from home,” said Farrah Rahimzadeh, owner of Mama Lucia Pizzeria in Downtown Pittsburgh.
Despite the challenges, most are thankful for the draft’s impact on the city, cleaning it up and bringing attention to it.
“Not really what we would call successful, and understandably. There was so much going on down there, and people were really happy to be down there. But I think our attitude is that we’ll see residual effects from it, because they did such a good job with the whole draft that people really liked Pittsburgh and the way they were welcomed here.”