Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl parade: Do businesses along the route make super money?

OK, Chiefs faithful, here’s the situation. Let’s test your business acumen.

On Wednesday, if the 2024 Super Bowl parade draws crowds of hundred of thousands as is expected, the line outside the Grand Slam Convenience Store, near the start of the parade route at Sixth Street and Grand Boulevard, is likely be going out the door.

It happened for the victory parades in 2020 and again in 2023.

Coffee. Snacks. Bottles of liquor. Last year, in the biting cold, cups of hot chocolate and mini bottles of Fireball cinnamon whiskey kept the cash register busy in the dark of 5:30 a.m and onward for the next seven hours.

So, for Grand Slam Convenience, whose owners are die-hard Chiefs fans, their store festooned with Chiefs banners and signs, it just makes sense that the Kansas City Chief Super Bowl parade created super business.

Nope.

“The sales for business are actually, it’s probably down for that day,” said Joe Sacco, owner for some 35 years.

Don’t misread Sacco. “I’m not complaining,” he said. He’s such a Chiefs fan, certain that they would win, that he purchased tons of Chiefs merchandise early. Last year, he hauled a flatbed trailer into the his parking lot, giving his family a raised platform to watch the parade. He’s doing it again this year.

“Obviously we love it. We embrace it. It’s been awesome,” Sacco said. “We love being right here. Get the families, everybody, being down here.”

But the bulk of business on the morning of the parade was mostly small, $2 sales of snacks and drinks. The place has Phillips 66 gas pumps. Because the police shut down streets from Tuesday night on, cars can’t pull in. That means lost customers.

“The streets are blocked off, so you can’t get to us from basically 6 until noon the next day. It’s only walk-up business,” he said.

Again, Sacco is of one mind: If he were given the choice of regular business and no Chiefs parade, or less business for one day while celebrating a Chiefs’ Super Bowl win, he’s going with the win.

His circumstance also illustrates that, like the game itself, it’s not always easy to predict who’s coming out ahead and who is not. Complicating matters for some business, like florists, chocolatiers and balloon suppliers, this year the parade will coincide with Valentine’s Day as well as Ash Wednesday.

Kansas City Chiefs fans cheer as the team progresses down Grand Boulevard during the Super Bowl victory parade on Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023. Messenger Coffee expects to do booming business again, inside and on the roof. Nick Wagner/nwagner@kcstar.com

Who wins at the Chiefs parade

The parade is set to start at 11 a.m. at Sixth and Grand, proceed south on Grand, and then head west on Pershing Road for a 12:45 p.m. rally in front of Union Station.

The Star talked to small business owners on and near the parade route. In general, those selling food and drink come out winners — truer for businesses close to the parade route.

“Last year, I had $1,000 in sales,” said U Chong Ethridge, the owner for 31 years of Suzy’s Deli at 1533 Grand Blvd., directly on the route. A typical day is $200.

Messenger Coffee, across the street, plans to double staff and double its daily profit. The coffee shop, bakery and restaurant is removing all its table from the first floor to accommodate long lines, to-go orders only. No bathroom privileges.

“So, basically, on the second floor we’re hosting a private catering for a watch party. It’s going to be wild. High dollar. They did it last year,” said Colleen Ferguson, director of operations. The rental includes the open rooftop. Rental cost?

“Like a car,” Ferguson said laughing. “Like a Corolla.”

Down in the River Market, Kate McGlaughlin, owner of the Brown & Loe restaurant, and whose father, Harry Murphy, owns the nearby bistro Harry’s Country Club, expects business to be below average for lunch, but then erupt after the parade, as it did last year.

“Quiet, early start and then, boom, here they come,” McGlaughlin predicted. “The weather, with it being really cold last year, people felt like, ‘Oh, I have to get back to my car.’” But this year, with temperatures approaching the 60s, “I’m expecting even more of an impact. I’m expecting like when the Royals parade was. I will never forget that day.”

McGlaughlin was speaking of the parade on a balmy Nov. 3, 2015, after the Kansas City Royals defeated the New York Mets to win the World Series.

PT’s Coffee locations in the Crossroad and Power & Light District have doubled sales during past parades. They’re offering employees time-and-a-half to work the parade.

“There’s nothing that brings people together like city pride in a sporting team,” said co-founder Fred Polzin.

Although, it doesn’t necessarily bring people in the door.

Not so great for business

At Extra Virgin, a fine dining restaurant at 1900 Main St., manager Jason Evans said business was dead last year for the parade. He expects the same this year. The restaurant opens at 11:30 a.m.

“We didn’t see any guests until 1 p.m. (last year)“ he said. He hopes people won’t cancel reservations for Valentine’s Day.

“We’re going to go through and kind of confirm all our Valentine’s Day reservations for today and tomorrow,” Evans said Monday. “I would expect those reservations to drop off drastically because people have changed their mind and went to the parade.”

Malisa Monyakula is the founder and owner of Lulu’s Thai Noodle Shop. Nick Wagner/nwagner@kcstar.com

West of the parade route at Lulu’s Thai Noodle Shop, 2030 Central St., owner Malisa Monyakula said that last year, customers were scarcer than she’d hoped. Same with the NFL Draft in April, where crowds stuck closer to Union Station and the vendors outside the National WWI Museum and Memorial.

“We were all hopeful when we had the Draft,” she said. “But as far as business in the venue, it was terrible. It was terrible for a lot of folks.”

She hopes that Wednesday’s parade, in spring-like weather, won’t be more of the same.

Weather aside, the Feb. 14 parade date has been particularly hard on businesses that normally thrive on Valentine’s Day.

Rebecca Ederer, owner of Beco Flowers, just east of the parade route at 408 E. 19th St., said her team has been calling customers to reschedule deliveries that had been planned for Valentine’s Day. They won’t accept orders that day.

“I think there will be a dip in sales because we’ve had to shut off orders,” she said, but they’ll “power through.”

At Verdant, a florist at 128 W. 18th St., a few blocks west of the route, 75% of business on Valentine’s Day is walk-ins. Shop manager Rebecca Shrag said of the holiday, “It’s our Super Bowl.” This year they’re setting up a Chiefs-themed/Valentine’s Day photo spot to lure in customers, and have been encouraging people to order early.

“I think Valentine’s Day will be less busy than previous years,” she said. “We’re just trying our best. We don’t really know what to expect.” Difficulty parking, she said, is only likely to aggravate matters.

A manager at Christopher Elbow Chocolates, 1819 McGee St., a block from the parade, said Valentine’s Day is “our typically busiest day of the year outside of Christmas.” Probably not this year.

Kasey Burmood, 34, and Peyton West, 26, sell lingerie at Birdies, a shop celebrating its 21st anniversary on Valentine’s Day, Wednesday, Feb. 14. “It would have been ideal if the parade could have been on Friday,” said owner Peregrine Honig. Eric Adler/eadler@kcstar.com

Birdies, the lingerie shop at 116 W. 18th St., will be celebrating its 21st anniversary on Wednesday., having opened on Valentine’s Day in 2003.

“It’s terrible for independent businesses,” owner Peregrine Honig said of the parade. “I mean, it’s always good to get new bodies into an area. It’s just that people who are going to celebrate our team are also not going to buy lingerie.”

Although supportive of the team and the victory, Honig said she’ s sorry the city did not think of having the parade after Valentine’s Day.

“It would have been ideal if the parade could have been on Friday,” she said. “Not just for us, but for the local restaurants, the florists and the jewelers. … Like if I can have a positive spin on it, maybe people will come by today (Monday) and tomorrow and buy gifts a little bit earlier. …

“We can only hope for the best. Maybe next year, when we win the Super Bowl again, the mayor can do a little more work, or the city can do a little bit more work, in preparing for an inclusive tourist experience.”

Making KC parade day a holiday

For other businesses on or near the parade route — attorneys, nail salons and furniture stores among them — doing work on Wednesday is not on the calendar. Parade day has become an official holiday. The Jackson County Courthouse will be closed. So will all branches of the Kansas City Public Library.

“We’re just shutting down,” said Alex Bayat, a partner in BMG Consulting, a direct sales company in the River Market. Employees will get the morning off, he said, maybe check with customers in the afternoon.

“Last few times, we’ve just shut down the office,” said attorney Nick Hergott, a partner at Meyerkord, Russell & Hergott, located nearby. Family and friends come to the business. No work.

Last year, Susan Kidd, one of four owners of Encompas, a commercial furniture dealer, went all out planning a party for employees and clients at their business on the route, 1512 Grand Blvd. Everyone got involved on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

“It was three days of work. It was fun, ” Kidd said. But it was hard for some clients to get there. “It was just a lot.”

This year they’re scaling back to employees only, with a great view from their second floor windows and roof deck.

“We’re just going to be here and enjoy the parade,” she said.

Last year, they definitely did, when the bus carrying Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes stopped and made, well, a pit stop at the portable bathroom to allow him to do his business in front of their business.

Not your normal day at the office.