Businesses in downtown Lafayette are preparing for a rush of customers.
Some restaurants and businesses are adding staff members, so they can handle the large crowds expected to flock downtown for festival.
Business like La Carreta are preparing for an increase in business.
“It really helps our business. It’s our busiest time of the year,” said La Caretta waitress Noelle Ellis.
Being so close to Parc International, they are in the perfect place to receive festival goers when the music ends each night. The restaurant will be serving up food, drinks and more customer service.
“We double the staff than what we normally have just because we get so many people here,” said Ellis. “We have to get food out as fast as we can. We ordered a lot of alcohol, and we have more kitchen staff.”
More than 300,000 people attend the festival each year, a portion of which will spend money outside the festival stages and booths.
“At least 1,000 [people] if not more, ” said Ellis. “We get people in and out. We flip tables really fast when it’s festival. We get new regulars that come in regularly. They keep coming after the festival.”
The restaurant says they plan on opening at 11 in the morning and will close at 11 at night during festival to serve customers all day.
