PARK CITY, Utah – It’s a bustling place all winter long, but when the Sundance Film Festival comes to town the influx of patrons presents plenty of opportunities for the proprietors of establishments in Park City.
Lori Harris owns Mary Jane’s on Park City's Main Street, and she said the crowds are great for business.
She said: "It's probably the most foot trafficked time for us, so I think of it as cha-ching, right?"
But other business owners will opt to move out during the festival rather than stick around, and on the eve of the festival there were several transitions underway.
Maren Mullin of Gallery Mar said it’s a lot of work to move their art out of the gallery, but she said renting out her space has been lucrative in the past. Four years ago, she rented the spot to designer Kenneth Cole—who turned her gallery into a photo studio for stars, like Robert Redford, to drop in.
Scott Thomson runs O.P. Rockwell’s, which is an upscale nightclub. He said the establishment is leased out for private events during the day, but he said they will be open late night for the public.
“You have an opportunity to make a lot of money, and that money goes to your rent, so maybe for the rest of the year you don't have to worry about rent anymore,” he said.
Thomason said people all over the world talk about Sundance, which he said is great for business.
Mullin said business owners have a variety of options when it comes to capitalizing on the festivals’ opportunities. This year she hopes to promote her own brand instead of the brand of others.
“You really have to decide what's best for the overall business, as opposed to just the bottom line,” she said.
For more information about the Sundance Film Festival, visit their website.
