CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Hundreds of thousands of visitors are expected in the Queen City this week as the Presidents Cup tees off at Quail Hollow Club, bringing big business to many Charlotte small businesses.
Organizers expect at least 200,000 visitors to the event from Tuesday to Sunday that includes local residents. The Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority says most hotels across the area are already sold out.
RELATED: Presidents Cup schedule of events
The hope during the prestigious tournament is to share a taste of Charlotte with an international crowd by partnering with several restaurants and businesses in the NoDa and South End neighborhoods to provide food for the massive event.
“This is the biggest platform Cuzzo’s Cuisine has ever been on, but evidently people in the city like our cuisine and like our food," Cuzzo's Cuisine owner Andarrio Johnson said. "It really is an honor, like a dream come true."
Johnson and his team expect to feed at least 1,000 people each day and the hope is that will bring a continued boost to business.
“It’s going to take us to another level," Johnson said. "It’s a market that we’ve never touched and it will grow our business.”
Other restaurants that will be featured at Quail Hollow include La Caseta, Sabor Latin Street Grill, The Goodyear House, Ace No. 3 Burgers, El Toro Bruto, Two Scoops Creamery, and What The Fries.
What The Fries first started as a food truck, then moved to a brick-and-mortar. Now they're on an international stage.
“We’re just going to do the What The Fries way. that’s what we do," co-owner Gregory Williams said. "We come to impress, we try to go above and beyond with everything we do, and with the quality of our food I think it will speak for itself.”
Williams says they've already ordered 35 50-pound bags of potatoes for Presidents Cup week. That's more than half the amount What The Fries typically uses in a week.
And even for those not actually attending the Presidents Cup, Williams says he still hopes to welcome customers to the restaurant.
ALSO ON WCNC CHARLOTTE: A Charlotte couple used pandemic aid to expand culinary footprint
“For the people who don’t get into golf as much, maybe they’ll migrate over here so I’m hoping for a big crowd each way," Williams said.
Yet with more people comes more traffic. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department is warning drivers of the potential for congestion and urging using ride-share options like Uber or Lyft to help ease parking concerns.
Contact Briana Harper at bharper@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.