Reporter
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. —
Businesses in Volusia County say they're seeing a nice boost this week thanks to Welcome to Rockville.
The multi-day event is billed as North America's largest rock festival. More than 200,000 people are expected to come through by the time the weekend is over.
For four days, Daytona Beach is ready to rock and the nearby businesses are ready to roll with the influx of customers.
"Earlier today for lunch, the minute we opened the doors, we got you know just bomb rushed with people," Kadeem Whyte, manager of Houligan's Speedway location, said Friday.
Houligan's is a bar and restaurant in Daytona Beach that, year after year, sees a lot of people stopping in between sets.
"Lucky for us, we're right next to the speedway," Whyte said. "So those with reentry tickets, they come, they go, they come back, and it's just waves and waves and waves.
They staff accordingly, including in the kitchen, where they bring in extra prep cooks.
"I have three prep cooks back there just non-stop pumping away," said Michael Hunt, the kitchen manager. "We go through about roughly 50 cases of wings. So, it's just non-stop preparation."
With bands performing on multiple days, they're busy for much of the week.
"Like any other event weekend, we really, really do very well," Whyte said.
The general manager said Rockville is probably their third busiest event weekend of the year. But over at Tobacco Exotica,
"Rockvville, I would say, is the number one over the races," said owner Philip Scardino.
They're busier than their normal days. Just how much busier?
"Probably about 20 to 30 percent more," he said.
With a weekend of performances ahead, the businesses we talked to are ready to welcome more Rockville fans.
"When they moved it from Jacksonville, it was the best thing ever," Whyte said.