SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Downtown businesses are gearing up for Comic-Con, San Diego's biggest summer event that brings thousands of visitors and a significant economic impact to the city.
"It is bigger than Christmas, it is bigger than Black Friday. It is far and away our busiest week of the year," said Aaron Trites, owner of Now or Never Comics.
The comic book store started planning for Comic-Con week six months ago, ordering products, supplies, increasing staffing, and preparing to host special events.
"We're the only comic shop within 5 miles of the convention center, so we end up getting a ton of traffic during Comic-Con," Trites said.
The store usually sees a 400% increase in sales over the course of July, making Comic-Con crucial to its annual business.
"Not having Comic-Con would be a huge negative for our business, and not just for our business. All of us are so reliant on Comic-Con, and it's such an integral part of the city," Trites said.
Restaurants are also preparing for the influx of visitors. Mitch McInerney, owner of Kansas City Barbecue, says with tourism down this year, Comic-Con is especially important.
"I mean that's why the convention center as a whole, bringing in tourists is such a vital part of the San Diego economic impact," McInerney said.
To prepare for the event, Kansas City Barbecue is significantly ramping up production.
"We got our smoker running 24/7, you know, we're doing a couple of 100 racks of ribs at a time, you know, we're doing, you know, 50, 60 briskets," McInerney said.
Like the comic store, they're also increasing staffing and extending their hours.
"We're open from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. and during that entire time, I mean, Comic-Con doesn't stop," McInerney said.
Comic-Con will be hosted at the San Diego Convention Center from July 24 to July 27.
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