Bring on totality: Local businesses expecting big things

Gaelan Baillie knows a thing or two about doing business in downtown Niagara Falls and he’s excited by the prospect of April 8’s eclipse.

“I think the whole weekend itself will be like the Fourth of July on steroids,” the owner of SightSee Rentals said Thursday. “I think it will be incredibly busy.”

Baillie said he will be open at both his locations — on Third Street and near the state park — throughout the eclipse period of April 5-8.

By his estimation, visitors coming into town to observe the eclipse will find his bikes and scooters a great alternative form of transportation in light of the expected heavy traffic congestion downtown.

“I think people might be parking on Third, Fourth and Fifth streets and then say, ‘Hey, I can get to the state park by riding a scooter or a bike.’ “ Baillie said, adding, “I think it is going to be an early boost to the tourist season.

“I’m looking forward to it.”

Mike Capizzi, owner of Michael’s Restaurant on Pine Avenue is taking a different approach and won’t be open for business on April 8.

“I thought about opening. But then I heard about the number of visitors we’re expecting and I wondered if my employees were going to be able to get to work,” he explained. “I decided it was better to be safe and not open.”

He’s hoping to more than make up for that Monday’s closing with a potential boost in business on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday before.

“People will be here all weekend and I’ll be open then.”

He says he will stock up with extra food supplies and bring in additional staff.

“I’ll add staff for the weekend. But by Monday, I think (the extra business) will be over. The real business should be the weekend.”

He compared the pending eclipse to Nick Wallenda on June 15, 2012.

“I think this will be similar ... It’s once in a lifetime. Everyone wants to see it. It puts Niagara Falls in the spotlight.”

Steve Fournier, owner of Donatello’s on Third Street said he was a little less sure of how the eclipse weekend would go.

Normally closed on Saturday and Sunday, Fournier may adjust his schedule, but not much.

“We’re gonna try to open Monday (April 8) for our regular hours from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. That weekend, it’s hard to say,” he said. “We definitely won’t open Sunday. Saturday? we’re not sure.”

Fournier added he wasn’t expecting the extreme estimates of visitors to the city on April 8.

“I’m comparing it to a Fourth of July, and that’s only (an average) of 15,000 people. They’re saying a million? That’s 20 times the size of our city,” he said. “I’m expecting a Fourth of July.”

A bit to the north, Matt Villnave, chairman of Upward Niagara Chamber of Commerce, said the Village of Lewiston is preparing for large crowds but wasn’t sure what was going to happen.

“It’s unknown. We don’t have the hotel capacity of the Falls,” later adding, “It’s a special one-off thing. We don’t know what to expect.”

Villnave did say that the village has been working with first responders on preparations for the big day.

He expects most businesses to be open. “A lot of Lewiston stores are running different kinds of promotions for eclipse week. doing giveaways,” he said, noting the Brickyard Pub is hosting a viewing party.

The Discover Niagara Shuttle will be running Thursday, April 4, through Monday, April 8, which he said will help with traffic congestion and spreading visitors out.

“If it’s anything like busier summer weekends where hotels are already booked, it trickles down. People do what they need to do in the Falls, the state park and the gorge, then they find their way here. Especially people who stay for a couple of extra days,” Villnave said. “Hopefully they come down here and support retailers and restaurants.”

Across the county, Grace Platt, of Lockport Main Street, is also expecting a busy weekend ahead of the eclipse. She is trying to create a “landing site” for anyone who might find themselves in the Lockport area on the week of the solar eclipse. Some of the businesses she’s included are the Cornerstone CFCU Arena which will be hosting an Ice Jam on April 5, Gould’s Flowers which will be selling “Galaxy” rose bouquets, and Lock 34 Bar & Grill which will host an eclipse party at noon on April 8.

Other Lockport businesses have decided to join in.

In the Lockview Plaza, Tone & Design owner, Matt Rutschmann fastened vinyl on Sterling Carroll’s solar flare t-shirts, created next door, and plans to keep his store open for one of the best seats in the city overlooking the Flight of Five locks along the Erie Canal. Carroll, who will be in and out of the store, said he came up with the design for the shirts from past eclipses.

“I wanted to do something that was different and I didn’t want just the sun. I wanted the total eclipse. The moment when the moon is over the sun and it’s blacked out and what we’d see behind it with the solar flares,” he said.

Carroll also put down the longitude and latitude of his shop so people would always remember where they were when they saw the eclipse. He’ll be making trips back and forth from his shop, “Spill Your Creativity,” and his shirts will be sold in Tone & Design, as well as B&D Bagels which is holding a musical event outside its doors.

“It’s an opportunity for everyone to do something. Any excuse for community activity, that’s all it really takes,” Franklin Rezarch of B&D Bagels said. “It’s going to be the whole square. There’ll be a band playing. I’m giving glasses to the kids.”

Back in Lewiston, Samantha Sconey, manager of Village Bake Shoppe, said they’re all in on the big event, offering eclipse cookies as well as eclipse glasses.

“It’s going to be a Funfetti cookie and then it’s going to be frosted,” Sconey said of the cookies. “It’s got the sun on the outside. It’ll say Eclipse 2024. The cookies can be pre-ordered or are available in the store.”

Village Bake Shoppe will be open on the day of the eclipse — 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. As for how the day goes ...

“I think we’re really just kind of planning to be open, bring a lot of people into the village. Kind of gather in the middle of Center Street and watch the eclipse together.”