PITTSBURGH \u2014 Hundreds of thousands of people will descend on Pittsburgh in less than three weeks for the NFL Draft. Along with predictions about how many football fans will be in town, there are bold estimates for how much the city will benefit from an economic perspective. <\/p>\n
Businesses are using their best judgment to prepare for late April. <\/p>\n
At Peppi\u2019s on the North Side, they\u2019re expecting huge demand. The old school sandwich shop has been a popular staple since the 1980s. Owner Jeff Trebac has been there every step of the way. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve had some longevity, and we\u2019ve created our own little beast here,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
Game day crowds have always been some of their biggest. Peppi\u2019s Western Avenue location is a short walk from Acrisure Stadium. But the NFL Draft is uncharted territory for the eatery. <\/p>\n
\u201cLet\u2019s say a Thursday night game, it\u2019s a busy day, and when you take the potential of 10 times the stadium capacity, that\u2019s a lot of people,\u201d Trebac said. \u201cHow we prepare for that, I really — I\u2019m not quite sure.\u201d<\/p>\n
That is what businesses are weighing as they prepare for the biggest event the city has ever hosted. VisitPittsburgh is estimating between 500,000 and 700,000 football fans will be in the city. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe arrive at those numbers based on our assessment of the last three host cities: Kansas City, Detroit and Green Bay,\u201d said Jerad Bachar, President and CEO of Visit Pittsburgh.<\/p>\n
Bachar said the economic impact is expected to be between $120 and $200 million. That includes money spent by the NFL, locals and visitors. <\/p>\n
For recent drafts, cities reported $72 million in spending in Green Bay in 2025, $213 million in spending in Detroit in 2024 and $164 million in spending in Kansas City in 2023. <\/p>\n
\u201cDetroit is a much more comparable site to Pittsburgh just because they put this draft into a downtown area, the city core,\u201d Bachar said. <\/p>\n
Business owners around the city are betting on a big boost. <\/p>\n
Jim Coen, owner of Yinzers in the Burgh in the Strip District, sent someone to Green Bay last year to see what items sold and what did not. <\/p>\n
His stores, as late March, were already decked out in NFL Draft merchandise. <\/p>\n
There\u2019s everything from t-shirts and hats to sweatshirts and custom NFL Draft \u201cTerrible Towels.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey go as fast as we get them,\u201d Coen said. <\/p>\n
He said business was slow during the cold months this winter, and his team is planning the draft will make up for the slow months and then some. He is encouraging Pittsburghers to shop local and is hoping out-of-towners make a stop at one of his stores if they venture into the iconic Strip District. <\/p>\n
Coen expects long lines, and he\u2019s prepared for it. They\u2019ve ordered a lot of inventory and are increasing staffing ahead of the NFL Draft. <\/p>\n
\u201cDo you think it could compete with some of the biggest weeks you\u2019ve ever seen?\u201d asked Channel 11 investigative reporter Jatara McGee. <\/p>\n
\u201cI believe so, yes,\u201d Coen said. \u201cI prepared for that, you know. I prepared for huge sales, because we feel that we have such a really good opportunity to capitalize on.\u201d<\/p>\n
Back over at Peppi\u2019s, they are also preparing for big numbers. But since the two stores, one on the north side and one in the Strip District, are small, they won\u2019t be increasing staffing. Trebac said they will have the extra grill running and will be selling sandwiches on the street as well. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re going to be preparing a lot of Roethlis \u2018burgers,\u2019\u201d Trebac said with a smile. \u201cUnder pressure, we\u2019re really good.\u201d<\/p>\n
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