There’s a definite spike in revenue throughout festival week, says Joey Murphy, owner of Kings Arms Pub by Lew Murphy’s.
With the Grand Street Parade among the lineup of events expected to draw visitors to the Kentville area in droves May 30, Murphy started planning for the Apple Blossom influx a month ago.
“It’ll be the busiest day of the year for me,” said Murphy.
Murphy, who formerly operated Lew Murphy’s out of a Coldbrook location, purchased the pub on Main Street in Kentville last summer.
“An excellent opportunity to run a good business presented itself, so I grabbed it,” said Murphy, who has worked in the food service industry for about 20 years.
In a way, Apple Blossom weekend will be Murphy’s true initiation to the pub scene in Kentville.
“This coming October is the Kings Arms Pub’s 30th anniversary in this location and this is my first Apple Blossom, so I feel like I’ve got a lot riding on it,” said Murphy.
He’s increased staffing levels, booked local rising star country crooner Kevin Davison for Friday and Saturday nights, ordered extra stock, developed a special Apple Blossom menu, called for extra coin for change and hired a professional security firm to assist with the anticipated rushes.
“We’re looking at hundreds and hundreds of people coming in and out of here all day,” said Murphy, who has his fingers crossed for great patio weather.
The end goals are simple: deliver good food, good service and good times.
“That’s what I enjoy… is to have people come to my establishment and have fun,” he said.
Dr. Brian VanBlarcom, an economics professor at Acadia University, released a study examining the economic impact of the 76th Apple Blossom Festival in October 2008.
“The food and beverage industry is the primary beneficiary,” VanBlarcom said in a recent interview.
The study, entitled Economic Impact Assessment of the Apple Blossom Festival, provides estimates of the amount of money that was spent in the Annapolis Valley as a result of the festival, which ran from May 28 to June 2 in 2008.
While it is difficult to come up with exact attendance figures for open access events, it’s not hard to see that the festival can have a long lasting impact on the Annapolis Valley. The Grand Street Parade, for example, attracts thousands of spectators.
“It happens fairly early in the spring and, if the weather is good, people have a chance to look around a bit,” said VanBlarcom, adding that the festival leads people to experience the Annapolis Valley’s attractions first hand as part of a celebration of the warmer weather.
“Hopefully it will spur them to return, perhaps, in the not so distant future, and stay a little bit longer,” he added.
Based on information received from 205 survey respondents, VanBlarcom’s study concluded that the 2008 festival’s economic value – a figure that combines spending by visitors and residents of the Annapolis Valley – was $2.8 to $4.3 million. That’s money spent on such things as food, lodging, entertainment, vehicle expenses and retail.
VanBlarcom’s findings predicted that $1.2 to $1.9 million was generated by guests visiting the Annapolis Valley for the festival.
That said, the study indicates that 71 per cent of the festival attendees who completed the survey were residents of the Annapolis Valley.
Asked how a community celebration continues to thrive for more than 80 years, VanBlarcom said the regional tradition has become a beloved part of the Annapolis Valley’s identity.
“It’s one thing that helps makes this area unique,” he said.
There’s a definite spike in revenue throughout festival week, says Joey Murphy, owner of Kings Arms Pub by Lew Murphy’s.
With the Grand Street Parade among the lineup of events expected to draw visitors to the Kentville area in droves May 30, Murphy started planning for the Apple Blossom influx a month ago.
“It’ll be the busiest day of the year for me,” said Murphy.
Murphy, who formerly operated Lew Murphy’s out of a Coldbrook location, purchased the pub on Main Street in Kentville last summer.
“An excellent opportunity to run a good business presented itself, so I grabbed it,” said Murphy, who has worked in the food service industry for about 20 years.
In a way, Apple Blossom weekend will be Murphy’s true initiation to the pub scene in Kentville.
“This coming October is the Kings Arms Pub’s 30th anniversary in this location and this is my first Apple Blossom, so I feel like I’ve got a lot riding on it,” said Murphy.
He’s increased staffing levels, booked local rising star country crooner Kevin Davison for Friday and Saturday nights, ordered extra stock, developed a special Apple Blossom menu, called for extra coin for change and hired a professional security firm to assist with the anticipated rushes.
“We’re looking at hundreds and hundreds of people coming in and out of here all day,” said Murphy, who has his fingers crossed for great patio weather.
The end goals are simple: deliver good food, good service and good times.
“That’s what I enjoy… is to have people come to my establishment and have fun,” he said.
Dr. Brian VanBlarcom, an economics professor at Acadia University, released a study examining the economic impact of the 76th Apple Blossom Festival in October 2008.
“The food and beverage industry is the primary beneficiary,” VanBlarcom said in a recent interview.
The study, entitled Economic Impact Assessment of the Apple Blossom Festival, provides estimates of the amount of money that was spent in the Annapolis Valley as a result of the festival, which ran from May 28 to June 2 in 2008.
While it is difficult to come up with exact attendance figures for open access events, it’s not hard to see that the festival can have a long lasting impact on the Annapolis Valley. The Grand Street Parade, for example, attracts thousands of spectators.
“It happens fairly early in the spring and, if the weather is good, people have a chance to look around a bit,” said VanBlarcom, adding that the festival leads people to experience the Annapolis Valley’s attractions first hand as part of a celebration of the warmer weather.
“Hopefully it will spur them to return, perhaps, in the not so distant future, and stay a little bit longer,” he added.
Based on information received from 205 survey respondents, VanBlarcom’s study concluded that the 2008 festival’s economic value – a figure that combines spending by visitors and residents of the Annapolis Valley – was $2.8 to $4.3 million. That’s money spent on such things as food, lodging, entertainment, vehicle expenses and retail.
VanBlarcom’s findings predicted that $1.2 to $1.9 million was generated by guests visiting the Annapolis Valley for the festival.
That said, the study indicates that 71 per cent of the festival attendees who completed the survey were residents of the Annapolis Valley.
Asked how a community celebration continues to thrive for more than 80 years, VanBlarcom said the regional tradition has become a beloved part of the Annapolis Valley’s identity.
“It’s one thing that helps makes this area unique,” he said.
