Downtown Sacramento Gears Up for Holiday Rush Despite Recent Business Closures
As downtown Sacramento prepares for the holidays, the Downtown Sacramento Partnership reports that foot traffic is nearly back to its pre-pandemic levels. While some businesses, such as Punch Bowl Social and Echo & Rig, have closed recently, others are opening up new opportunities.
"There's so much going on that foot traffic has pretty much recovered. It's just in a different way—it's not just daytime office worker foot traffic; it's more geared toward the nighttime economy, and we're seeing a lot of success with that," Andrew LaFrance from the Downtown Sacramento Partnership shares.
According to LaFrance, about 10 businesses closed this calendar year so far, but an impressive 30 have opened, including in Old Sacramento, the Downtown Commons, and other areas.
"It's exciting down here tonight. I just texted the family back home and said, hey, this place is popping tonight because of the Kings game," said Tom Ferrando, a Portland, Oregon resident who has visited Sacramento annually for the past decade.
Ferrando notes that the area has transformed from a quiet scene to a bustling hub: "You'd come out of the Holiday Inn and you wouldn't turn left because it was just a Macy's and a Starbucks and then it was kind of shaky. Nowadays, that's the first place we come is right down here, it's wonderful down here now."
Anthony Sadeghi, owner of Karma Brew in Midtown, attributes the positive changes to people's desire for community, especially during the holidays. "After the new year, the problem is going to start, because then there is a drop, and a lot of businesses close," he warns.
The downtown ice skating rink, now open, adds another draw for visitors.