TAMPA -- Businesses near Amalie Arena bank on playoff hockey for a boost in business.
- Restaurants, other businesses profit during Lightning games
- $3 billion joint venture will add condos, hotels to area
- Lightning owner and Microsoft's Gates team for effort
Steps away from the arena, game time starts a whole lot earlier for Rick Drury and his staff at Precinct Pizza.
"Hockey games are always so much busier than any other day of the year," Drury said.
Lightning games bring in big bucks for his restaurant in Channelside.
"It probably triples or quadruples our usual business, so we’ll have a line out the door probably 40-50 people deep for about an hour," Drury said.
"Right now we have a lot of remodeling going on here in Channelside. There’s only Splitsville, Hooters and us left right now," he said.
The construction is part of a $3 billion joint venture between Tampa Bay Lightning owner Jeff Vinik and Microsoft's Bill Gates.
It will one day include condos, hotels, restaurants, and University of South Florida's Morsani Medical School.
"There isn't much to choose from at the moment but we know you've got to break some eggs to make an omelet. So we know good things are coming soon,” Drury said.
Drury hopes the renovations are worth the wait and in the meantime will keep wishing for some Lightning wins.