LI business owners hope for bigger boom in customers from Cricket World Cup

Both business owners who spoke with News 12 Monday said they are hoping to see more crowds over the coming days.

Thema Ponton

Jun 4, 2024, 2:33 AM

Updated 205 days ago

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The ICC Men's T20 World Cup is bringing some big bucks to some Long Island business owners but a "wait and see" approach for others.
"As far as being overwhelmed, no. I can't say at this point, we're feeling it," said Jim Roggio of Burger City on Hempstead Turnpike.
Naveed Haroon, the owner of two businesses on Hempstead Turnpike, including La Carraia Gelateria and Spice & Curry Kabab & Grill, told News 12 on Monday that he did see more customers.
"Right after the match, we have a good influx of people, you know walking in," said Haroon.
Roggio told News 12 that two people who came into the restaurant Monday told him they'd just been at the match, but Roggio said he thought he'd see more customers.
"I thought that, you know, we would get an overflow of people in the parking lot ... but we didn't, so it was kind of unusual," said Roggio.
Roggio told News 12 he thinks the road closures around the park may be a possible reason why Burger City didn't see an influx of crowds from the cricket match.
"I was kind of watching the way they were shutting the streets down, and I said, 'I think the way they're displacing the cars to go a certain way, we're missing a lot of traffic,'" Roggio said.
Both business owners who spoke with News 12 Monday said they are hoping to see more crowds over the coming days.
News 12 also spoke with Charles Razenson, president of the Hicksville Chamber of Commerce on Monday.
Razenson said chamber members told him they are hoping to see a bump in business from the influx of people on Long Island for the international event.
He said, "Many of them are hoping that it'll translate to dollars flowing into the community."