Although it’s been open for slightly more than one week, the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Sioux City, Iowa is attracting visitors to its shiny new facility–and to local businesses.
Natalie Olveda, an employee at Funkalicious Boutique on Pearl Street in downtown Sioux City, said, “It’s been a huge change because for the past year or so the whole street has been closed off because of the construction and everything. But with the Hard Rock opening up we’ve seen a huge increase with people from everywhere, as far as Norway and even people from Vegas.” Piper Roach, an employee at Alainn Boutique downtown, said, “I thought we would get more wives and people traveling. Our store is a little different for Sioux City so we’re getting some different customers in and we just want to grow our customers.”
The Work & Church Bar downtown also has been open about two weeks. Owner Mac Dolan said he purposely located the establishment next to the new casino. “It has been phenomenal business, especially with the Hard Rock right next door. It is bleeding business right over in to our doors. We opened four days prior to the Hard Rock opening. And we did well but we were a new bar coming in, with word of mouth and so on. But then they opened and it was just wa-boom with people,” Dolan said.
