SEATTLE — Call if the "Blue Friday blues." On a day that traditionally marks the beginning of the buildup for Sunday's big football game, things were very quiet Friday around CenturyLink Field.
But that doesn't mean people aren't trying to make the best of it.
Farshid Varamini owns the People’s Burger food trucks and hot dog stands outside of the stadium.
“This would be year 23 for opening day. We've been open every year, so we're going to do it and see what happens,” said Varamini. Two weeks before the COVID-19 shutdown, he also opened the Gantry Bar.
He said everything will be open this weekend with reduced staff and everyone will be social distancing and wearing face masks. He hopes some fans will still come to the stadium, stand outside and cheer so the players can hear them inside.
“We're going to open up the bar and the food trucks and we have hot dog carts, and we're going to open as if was normal, and see what happens,” said Varamini.
Every business owner is trying to get through the COVID-19 pandemic, and Varamini sounds optimistic. For others the game is already over.
According to the Downtown Seattle Association (DSA), 114 street level downtown businesses have already closed. The DSA also said, in 2019 $1.7 billion dollars was spent on entertainment, including the Seahawks home games, the arts and dining downtown.
Depending on what business you’re in current numbers from the DSA show hotel stays are still down 93%, not much of an improvement since the worst of the pandemic in the spring when it was down 96%. It’s better for restaurants, if being off 50% from a 2019 baseline can be considered good news. But there too, it was worse in the spring, when eating out was down 80%, according to the DSA.
But there is energy among the fans even if they can’t buy a ticket to the game. Instead, they're buying gear at local shops.
“I'm all motivated to get back in it, I just wish I could go to the game on Sunday,” said Francis Vesikuru, who bought flags and posters for a Sunday watch party aboard the fishing boat he crews on. Everyone will be wearing face masks, of course, he said.