UTICA, N.Y. — Every year, the Boilermaker brings thousands of people to the City of Utica, with many local businesses saying that the increase in traffic makes this the busiest weekend.
With the busy weekend quickly approaching, business owners are beginning their extra measures to make sure that they are prepared for when racers arrive.
“We make all of our pasta from scratch here, so if we make 50 pounds normally we make 250 to 300 pounds of pasta to prepare for this weekend,” said Carmella’s Café Manager James Demetreu.
As people arrive to take part in the event, the competitors and their families are looking for authentic Utica foods and brands.
This means an increase in traffic to local staples, especially.
“We’re all very excited for the busy weekend, a lot of people love our coffee,” said Kerissa Volz, a barista at Utica Coffee. “I feel like we really stand out in the area.”
Utica Coffee will have a number of race-day specials that are to be announced.
And, of course, you can’t talk about authentic Utica cuisine without mentioning chicken riggies and Utica greens.
Local restaurants are always working hard to make sure they keep tradition alive, even when the pressure of a busy weekend might make it seem difficult.
“We’ve got it down to a science at this point, we have a couple people who specialize in making pasta, some who focus on salads, drinks, and then their regular orders. For as hectic as it is, we’ve been doing it for a long time, and it actually goes very smoothly.” said Jason Gotthard, general manager at Babe’s at Harbor Point.
Carmella’s Café and Babe’s at Harbor Point both have special deals for race weekend, offering free pasta to race participants.
Every year, the Boilermaker brings thousands of people to the City of Utica, with many local businesses saying that the increase in traffic makes this the busiest weekend.
