The Heat Is On, And So Is Business
MIAMI (CBS4) - The Miami Heat played it's first home game of the new season Tuesday night, and it's something businesses around the AmericanAirlines Arena have been waiting for. The lockout is a memory, and pre-season games that don't count are over. Now, the play begins toward a championship, and business hope the fans pour into downtown Miami.
The first home game of the season was cause for celebration among Heat fans and for most, cause for spending some extra cash.
Downtown businesses benefitted from the crowds. Pucci's Pizza opened its doors just a couple of hours before the game started.
"It's been a long time coming it's been well over a year," said Regional Manager Johnny Calella. "That's what we were counting on that we would get all our inspections done today and we did and they loved us and here we are. We want to feed the crowd going to the Heat game."
For awhile, though, he worried the Heat wouldn't play.
"Tommy Pucci, the owner, was very worried. I mean that was the main reason he took this spot it was across the street from the arena and then the lockout wow," Calella explained. So we've been sweating it, but we're thrilled we're very, very thrilled."
So were the parking attendants across from the AmericanAirlines Arena.
"I get to work so it's better for me," Willie Johnson said.
"We lost out on a lot of money," said Johnson's co-worker Santana Lewis.
Now many businesses are hoping to make up for lost time.
