Listen to article \u2022\u00a00:00 min<\/p>\n
The PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club has been billed as a boon for the Philadelphia region. <\/p>\n
The PGA expected more than 200,000 spectators <\/a>to flock to the Newtown Square<\/a> course for the six-day event. During a Saturday visit, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro<\/a> said the tournament, which ends Sunday, would generate about $200 million for the local economy.<\/p>\n But a couple miles away, outside the lush confines of the country club and away from the TV cameras, some small-business owners said they\u2019re still waiting for a boost from the major championship. <\/p>\n \u201cEvery day, it\u2019s hurt us,\u201d said Luigi Lemme, co-owner of Luigi and Giovanni, as he stood in the cheese aisle of his Italian market on Sunday morning. A couple customers trickled in. <\/p>\n Business has been slow all week, Lemme said. He declined to specify how much sales were down but said the shop would be in a \u201cbad situation\u201d if not for a tournament-related catering contract. <\/p>\n Across St. Alban\u2019s Circle at Bunny Hare\u2019s gift shop, owner Anne Marie Hare has faced a similar slump.<\/p>\n She has watched buses ferry thousands of golf fans to and from the official parking lots on State Route 252 and West Chester<\/a> Pike. Other spectators have paid to park on homeowners\u2019 lawns<\/a> near Aronimink or taken shuttles from the Paoli<\/a> SEPTA<\/a> Station, on the other side of the course from her store. <\/p>\n \u00bb READ MORE: Pop-up parking lots near the PGA Championship abound, with homeowners looking to cash in on the crowds<\/a><\/p>\n None are stopping to shop, she said. <\/p>\n \u201cMost of their money is being spent out at the merch tent<\/a>\u201d at Aronimink, Hare said. Food and nonalcoholic drinks are also included with PGA Championship admission<\/a>, she noted, so spectators don\u2019t necessarily need to stop at other nearby businesses for a bite to eat either.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, she said, she thinks locals have stayed away from Newtown Square due to concerns about traffic. <\/p>\n \u201cI wish I was busier,\u201d Hare said. But overall, the PGA Championship is \u201ca great thing for the area.\u201d<\/p>\n Some restaurants, hotels see PGA Championship uptick<\/p>\n While some business owners say they have struggled to compete with the PGA Championship, others say they have benefited.<\/p>\n A Cut Above Deli<\/a> has seen a \u201cbig time\u201d boost in business \u2014 likely a 20% to 30% increase compared with a typical May week \u2014 said manager Nick Carneglia. TV broadcast crews have ordered hoagie trays, he said, as have locals who are hosting PGA gatherings. <\/p>\n \u201cThe restaurants are doing really well,\u201d said Sheila Turner-Hilliard, president of the Newtown Square Business Association and owner of From The Top Studio of Dance. \u201cEverybody I\u2019ve talked to has had something good to say about this tournament from start to finish.\u201d<\/p>\n