SHEBOYGAN — We're just one week away from the Ryder Cup kicking off here in Sheboygan County. And as the highly anticipated event approaches, employers in the area are hoping the tournament will bring big business to their establishments.
"This is almost like a Super Bowl type of impact that I see in the community," said Thomas Nye, the general manager of The Blind Horse Restaurant & Winery.
Nye says his crew has been working around the clock preparing for what he expects to be one of the biggest weekends he's ever seen at the Blind Horse Restaurant and Winery.
"On a busy weekend, we will have about 1,200 people come through this place, so I imagine it's going to be busier than that."
The Ryder Cup, which kicks off next week, is expected to draw hundreds of thousands of people from across the world to Sheboygan Wisconsin -- which has businesses in the area finalizing preparations before the big day.
"We're putting up some more tents, having a lot more seating available, a lot of outdoor space will be the key focus. We brewed three beers especially for the Ryder Cup week," said the founder of 3 Sheeps Brewing Company, Grant Pauly.
Many say the uptick in visitors coming to the area will bring a much-needed economic boost to Sheboygan after dealing with such a hard year.
"This last year, like for everyone, was extremely challenging and difficult. Our team worked hard and we busted our butt just to kind of make it through," said Pauly.
"All the small businesses are really going to benefit greatly from this," said Nye.
But effects from the pandemic are still being felt in the service industry making it a bit more challenging for businesses to prepare for the tournament.
"We are just trying to hire as many people as we can, struggling like everyone else to have enough people. We do expect to have the busiest week of our lives," said Nye.
However. they're hopeful that people will soon realize all the hidden gems that Sheboygan has to offer.
"It's going to be all hands on deck trying to make sure that we give everyone a great experience," said Pauly.
