Wells Fargo Championship means big business for downtown Wilmington stores

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) –- In May Wilmington will host the Wells Fargo Championship at Eagle Point Golf Club. The tournament usually held in Charlotte, will be a big opportunity for area businesses, and even downtown is hoping to cash in.

It’s been a rough year for Mike Bryand. He owns a photo gallery downtown. He says he has lost business to the construction on Water Street. But the upcoming PGA Tour stop could help bring an unexpected boost. That’s because general ticket holders will have to take a shuttle from downtown to the tournament.

“I’m just very optimistic. You know, I’m very optimistic for the fellow vendors and store owners down the street, who’ve had a real tough year and a half. Everyone can get on their feet again,” Bryand said.

Wednesday, Wilmington Downtown Inc. unveiled a plan to bring more people downtown during the week long tournament.

WDI CEO Ed Wolverton says they will have golf-centric events and use social media to bring in business.

“We have a following of close to 36,000 people that are part of all of our social media networks, so we’ll use that as a way to help educate people about the businesses being open and things that are underway and attractions,” Wolverton said.

It’s estimated that around 25,000 people will attend the Wells Fargo Championship each day.

Businesses hope the crowds along the fairways also mean a lot of green downtown.