Super Bowl boosts St. Charles businesses

A majority of the parish’s hotels are sold out for Super Bowl weekend, but other businesses in the area have also received a bump in business because of the big game.

Best Western, in Luling, has been sold out of rooms for the first weekend in February for months, however, almost all of the rooms are taken up with workers that have nothing to do with the Super Bowl. The Ramada Inn, also in Luling, still had a few rooms available at a relatively low price last week, but eventually sold all their rooms.

"We have had a lot of people coming in town for the Super Bowl," hotel manager Nicole Veillon said.

While Ramada Inn usually has a $99 per night rate, their Super Bowl rate was only $129.

La Quinta Inn in Boutte only had one room available last week. The executive suite was going for $515 a night.

While hotels across the area are getting a big boost, two local businesses that cater to hotels in New Orleans are also experiencing an increase in business.

The Basketry, in Luling, has been gearing up for the Super Bowl since the summer. The company supplies gift baskets with a unique New Orleans flair.

"We have several companies that come in for the Super Bowl and they order welcome amenities from us. A lot of hotels also reach out to us to provide gifts for their customers," Kristi Brocato, owner of The Basketry, said.

Brocato said most of the gift baskets her company is supplying include New Orleans snacks, Abita root beer, Southern Candymakers chocolates and even king cakes.

"We like to buy from local, small businesses," she said. "Our gift baskets are filled with things you can munch on."

Kevin Hebert, owner of St. Charles Printing in Boutte, said his company has been busy designing and printing special menus and signage for hotels in New Orleans and the French Quarter.

"The Hilton is reopening their sports bar so we are printing menus for that and hotels in the quarter are doing special promotions," he said. "It has definitely generated business for us."

Corey Faucheux, the economic development director for St. Charles Parish, said other area businesses could experience a boost in sales from the spillover effect of people driving through the area.

"People are going to be all over the Greater New Orleans metro area and they are going to be driving through St. Charles. They are going to stop in and buy gas and stop to eat at our local restaurants," he said.