PETERSBURG, Va. β As the opening of Live! Casino Resort and Hotel in Petersburg draws closer, the city wants to make sure downtown and Olde Towne businesses are ready for the influx of visitors. Many may need to change their business model because of the 24 hours a day, 7 days a week nature of the casino.
Old Towne Perks restaurant owner Steve Perkinson is preparing for more customers and understands his current hours of operation may have to change.
"We're going to target those overnighters that are staying at the hotels and things of that nature that need to fill those bellies after a long night of having fun," Perkinson said. "It's going to bring tons of people down here."
Petersburg City Manager March Altman says he believes when the temporary casino opens, those numbers will mirror what Danville experienced with their temporary casino.
"They were experiencing 100,000 visitors a month," Altman said.
And like Danville, Altman expects a percentage of those visitors will make their way into town from the casino. That's why he believes Petersburg businesses need to consider changes now.
"This is going to be a 24-hour operation, some of our businesses may need to stay open, extend their hours," Altman said.
Comeback Burger changed its hours two weeks ago. It's now open on Mondays, often considered an off day in the restaurant world.
"We just started two weeks ago on Mondays," Comeback Burger manager Jim Scruggs said. "We are looking down the road to possibly [open] on Sundays."
It's not just restaurants.
Apothic Company, a boutique and salon, is also making changes.
"We're going to start opening more days a week. We'll be open on Sundays for sure and probably on Mondays if the business is there," Apothic Company owner Susan Steward said. "I'm hoping to get a lot more out of town traffic people just shopping and taking a stroll through Old Towne and discovering our history."
Altman said while the numbers of visitors in downtown Danville was expected to drop when the permanent casino, which includes more shops and restaurants inside, opened, he says, Danville's downtown is still seeing high numbers.
Live! Casino Resort and Hotel in Petersburg hopes to have its temporary casino up and running by the end of 2025 near Wagner Road and Interstate 95. The permanent Live! Casino Resort and Hotel in Petersburg could open as early as 2027.
CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
π²: CONNECT WITH US
Blue Sky | Facebook | Instagram | X | Threads | TikTok | YouTube
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. To learn more about how we use AI in our newsroom, click here.
