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While the Kansas City Chiefs won't officially move to Wyandotte County until 2031, businesses in the Village West area are already buzzing with anticipation about the economic opportunities ahead.
From hotels to liquor stores to restaurants, local establishments are drawing on their experience with major events at Kansas Speedway and Sporting Park to prepare for what could be their biggest boost yet.
Zayda Trancoso, who works at Country Inn & Suites Kansas City, Kansas, at Village West, said the move will be transformative for the area.
"That's probably going to be the best thing to happen here on this side," Trancoso said.
Her confidence comes from experience managing the hotel during NASCAR weekends, which she describes as particularly hectic.
"We were overbooked, that's how hefty it gets," Trancoso said.
Just half a mile away, Village West Discount Liquors is also preparing for the influx of Chiefs fans. Anish Dhungna, who works at the store, said his boss is excited about the prospects.
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"I'm excited to see all the crowds coming in, parking lot being full here," Dhungna said.
The business already deals with parking challenges during Kansas Speedway and Sporting events, so Dhungna expects similar patterns when the Chiefs arrive.
"People who won't get any parking spot over there, they're gonna park it here, get their cars and walk down to the stadium," Dhungna said.
While increased traffic is expected to be a challenge, business owners see it as an opportunity rather than a problem.
"The traffic is already hectic for Kansas, but it probably won't even matter," Trancoso said.
At Golden Apple, employee Canyu Ye said the restaurant already sees increased business during game days for other local teams.
"Every week when we're here having a game, we've got a lot of customers coming here to eat our food," Ye said.
Even though the Chiefs' move is still five years away, businesses are already strategizing. Dhungna said Village West Discount Liquors is thinking about inventory management to meet demand.
"Getting like all stocked up, ready for Chiefs fans coming in, getting all the liquor they wanted, not being out of stock on anything," Dhungna said.
The overall sentiment among Village West businesses is optimistic about the economic impact.
"Business is probably going to be booming," Trancoso said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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