CROMWELL, Conn. — The residents of Cromwell are teeing up for the town's biggest event of the year.
"The Travelers [Championship] is about five minutes down the street, you know probably a couple hundred-thousand people coming right through the whole area," said Ryan Kealey, owner and operator of Chicago Sam's in Cromwell.
While the pros at the Travelers Championship draw it down the fairway, local spots are looking to draw in business.
"It's good for business. It's good for not only us but a lot of the surrounding businesses," Kealey said.
"I know last year we definitely saw a lot of business and a lot of new faces from all over the country coming which is very cool and people get so excited to come try a local homemade ice cream," said Sadie Budzik of Tall Man's Homemade Ice Cream.
Budzik is hoping people come from the green at TPC River Highlands, about a mile down the street to their shop. They opened in 2020 which means this is the first year they'll get to experience the full scope of the tournament.
"He's back there making ice cream every morning just prepping for the big load of what we're expecting," Budzik said.
At Chicago Sam's, they're looking forward to the return to normalcy and what it means for them.
"Past years, you were at half capacity, couldn't really do much. Now you're gonna have a full crowd and I think it's going to be just wonderful, to be honest with you," Kealey said.
Chicago Sam's will have extended hours and are expecting both fans who want to watch on TV and those who are stopping by after watching in person.
"We want to give you an experience. We want you to know that even if you're not at the Travelers, you're in the action and that's what we want to do," Kealey said. "Between the live entertainment, between the sports, between the Travelers [Championship], between the outside patio – we're trying to give everybody what they want – to just have a great time," he said.
The Travelers Championship kicks off Wednesday with the Celebrity Pro-Am.
Gaby Molina is a reporter and anchor at FOX61 News. She can be reached at gmolina@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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