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Downtown Orlando businesses gear up for March Madness

Downtown Orlando businesses gear up for March Madness
JIM: ORLANDO, FILL OUT YOUR BRACKETS, MARCH MADNESS IS HERE. MICHELLE: PLUS, KEEPING YOUR CASH SAFE. >> I THINK THE BIGGEST THING IS DON’T MAKE ANY KNEE-JERK REACTIONS. MICHELLE: BACK TO BACK BANK FAILURES ARE CAUSING PEOPLE TO WORRY. LOCAL EXPERTS WALK US STEP BY STEP ON HOW TO PROTECT YOUR MONEY. JIM: TONIGHT LOVED ONES REMEMBER A FAMILY MAN WHO HAD BIG DREAMS. HOW THOSE DREAMS ENDED ON I-4 BY A CARELESS AND HEARTLESS DRIVER. MICHELLE: ORLANDO IS GEARING UP TO HOST SECOND AND THIRD ROUND MATCH-UPS OF THE NCAA MEN’S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT. JIM: AND THAT MEANS THOUSANDS OF FANS WILL BE HEADING DOWNTOWN FOR THE GAMES. ORLANDO HAS NOT BEEN A HOST SINCE 2017. MICHELLE: WE START OUR TEAM COVERAGE WITH WESH 2’S HAYLEY CROMBLEHOLME LIVE OUTSIDE THE AMWAY CENTER WHERE BUSINESSES ARE HOPING TO BE THE TOURNAMENT’S BIGGEST WINNERS. HAYLEY: BUSINESSES I SPOKE WITH TELL ME ANYTIME THERE’S AN EVENT HERE AT AMWAY OR EXPLORIA, OR ANY OF THE VENUES DOWNTOWN, THEY SEE A BOOST. BUT THIS WILL BE MULTIPLE GAMES OVER MULTIPLE DAYS. SO THEY EXPECT THE CROWDS TO LAST A LITTLE LONGER. >> LISTEN, WHEN STUFF IS HAPPENING AT AMWAY, WHEN STUFF IS HAPPENING AT EXPLORIA, WE’RE HAPPY PEOPLE. HAYLEY: DEXTER SANDERS OPENED DEXTER’S BIRDLAND JUST UNDER TWO YEARS AGO JUST A FEW HUNDRED FEET FROM THE AMWAY CENTER IN THE CITY’S HISTORIC PARAMORE DISTRICT. HE’S READY FOR MARCH MADNESS. >> THAT BRINGS PEOPLE AROUND, IT BRINGS MORE FOOT TRAFFIC, MORE ENERGY, MORE EXCITEMENT. HAYLEY: SESSION ONE TIPS OFF IN ORLANDO ON THURSDAY WITH FOUR DIFFERENT GAMES FROM THE AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING. >> THAT MEANS PEOPLE WILL CONSTANTLY BE ON THESE STREETS ALL DAY LONG THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE DAY AND THAT MEANS THAT WE HAVE A LOT MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO SERVE PEOPLE. HAYLEY: AND HE’LL BE STAFFING UP TO PREPARE FOR IT. >> ABSOLUTELY MORE STAFF WILL BE WORKING JUST TO KIND OF HANDLE THE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE THAT COME THROUGH. HAYLEY: CITY OFFICIALS SAY THE EVENT IS EXPECTED TO GENERATE ALMOST $14 MILLION OF ECONOMIC IMPACT FOR THE REGION. OVER AT THE CORNER PIZZA BAR ON SOUTH MAGNOLIA, THEY’RE READY FOR THE FANS. >> DEFINITELY LOOKING FORWARD TO MARCH MADNESS TOURNAMENT. HAYLEY: THE GAMES DON’T STOP THURSDAY. THERE’S MORE ON SATURDAY, TOO. >> A LOT OF PEOPLE GET EXCITED. WE GET A LOT MORE PEOPLE COMING OUT TO WATCH THE GAMES. PLENTY OF TVS HERE. MULTIPLE GAMES GOING ON, WE’RE ABLE TO SHOW EVERYTHING. HAYLEY: IT WILL BE A BUSY WEEK. BUT THE BUSINESSES SAY THE MORE VENUES AND EVENTS IN DOWNTOWN ORLANDO, THE BETTER. >> I THINK IT’S PUTTING ORLANDO AS A CITY ON THE MAP AND WE’RE JUST DELIGHTED TO BE IN THE CENTER OF IT
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Downtown Orlando businesses gear up for March Madness
The Amway Center will be hosting multiple March Madness games this week. For businesses downtown, that could mean a lot of customers."Listen, when stuff is happening at Amway, when stuff is happening at Exploria, we're happy people," said Dexter Sanders, the owner of Dexter's Birdland restaurant. The restaurant is located just a few hundred feet from the Amway Center in the city's historic Parramore District. He's ready for March Madness. Related: March Madness in Orlando: Teams, tickets and everything you need to know"'Cause that brings people around. It brings more foot traffic, more energy, more excitement," Sanders said. Session one tips off in Orlando on Thursday with four different games from the afternoon into the evening. "That means people will constantly be on these streets all day long throughout the whole day," Sanders said. "That means that we have a lot more opportunities to serve people."He will be staffing up to prepare for it. "Absolutely more staff will be working," Sanders said. "Just to kind of handle the numbers of people that come through."City officials say the event is expected to generate almost $14 million in economic impact for the region.Over at The Corner Pizza Bar on South Magnolia, the staff is ready for the fans. "Definitely looking forward to March Madness tournament," bartender Cory Cassidy said. The games don't stop Thursday. There's more on Saturday too. "A lot of people get excited," Cassidy said. "We get a lot more people coming out to watch the games. Plenty of TVs here. Multiple games going on. We're able to show everything."It will be a busy week. But the businesses say the more venues and events in downtown Orlando the better. "I think it's putting Orlando as a city on the map," Sanders said. "We're just delighted to be in the center of it."Top headlines:Deputies: 3 teenagers shot, injured in Orange County1 dead, 1 critically hurt in Brevard County shootingFHP: 1 killed, 2 seriously hurt in Volusia County crash

The Amway Center will be hosting multiple March Madness games this week. For businesses downtown, that could mean a lot of customers.

"Listen, when stuff is happening at Amway, when stuff is happening at Exploria, we're happy people," said Dexter Sanders, the owner of Dexter's Birdland restaurant.

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The restaurant is located just a few hundred feet from the Amway Center in the city's historic Parramore District. He's ready for March Madness.

Related: March Madness in Orlando: Teams, tickets and everything you need to know

"'Cause that brings people around. It brings more foot traffic, more energy, more excitement," Sanders said.

Session one tips off in Orlando on Thursday with four different games from the afternoon into the evening.

"That means people will constantly be on these streets all day long throughout the whole day," Sanders said. "That means that we have a lot more opportunities to serve people."

He will be staffing up to prepare for it.

"Absolutely more staff will be working," Sanders said. "Just to kind of handle the numbers of people that come through."

City officials say the event is expected to generate almost $14 million in economic impact for the region.

Over at The Corner Pizza Bar on South Magnolia, the staff is ready for the fans.

"Definitely looking forward to March Madness tournament," bartender Cory Cassidy said.

The games don't stop Thursday. There's more on Saturday too.

"A lot of people get excited," Cassidy said. "We get a lot more people coming out to watch the games. Plenty of TVs here. Multiple games going on. We're able to show everything."

It will be a busy week. But the businesses say the more venues and events in downtown Orlando the better.

"I think it's putting Orlando as a city on the map," Sanders said. "We're just delighted to be in the center of it."

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