SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) – The reinvigoration of the Landmark Theatre has positively impacted the downtown Syracuse community by bringing in more people to the area.
The pandemic and renovation work left the Landmark Theatre closed for 17 months. But after reopening in October 2021, the theatre has brought in many high-profile shows. The traffic from the theatre has spilled over to businesses next door.
“I would say we probably increased business by 125 to 150 percent,” said Dylan Webb, the store manager at Epicuse. “In a typical night, we’ll have like maybe 7 tables full. On a show night, every table is full. We have to staff an extra 2 to 3 people a night for Landmark shows just for how busy we get.”
Epicuse serves cheese boards and cocktails in their tasting room on any given night. But after a few rough nights and unhappy customers on show nights, the staff had to find new ways to accommodate those who had a strict time limit.
“We just had Hamilton over at the Landmark, which was there for two weeks, two and a half weeks. We had to come up with a special menu that we could put out quick so that we could get people in the door and out to the show in time,” Webb said.
Businesses in the area are grateful to see the boost in customers and look forward to future performances. On the other hand, locals are happy to attend their favorite musicals and concerts close to home in a historic venue like Landmark.
“I think it’s great. I mean it brings in revenue and people are excited to have the shows here,” said Meghan Spauldinge, a local attending the Bonnie Raitt concert in the theatre. “And there’s not a bad seat in there so, no matter where you buy your tickets, you always have a good seat.”
With more shows scheduled in the coming weeks, such as the hit Broadway musical “Cats,” downtown Syracuse will likely continue to thrive with crowds coming in and out of Landmark Theatre.
