Huntsville City FC bringing more business to local businesses

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WAFF) - As soccer fans prepare for Huntsville City Football Club’s second home match on Friday, there’s plenty for nearby business owners to cheer.

May 19’s sold-out home opener was a clear sign that Huntsville City FC is already helping places like the nearby Fractal Brewing Project.

“Last Friday night for the home-opener was a fantastic evening here at Fractal Brewing Project,” Owner Larry Lowe said. “[There were probably] two and a half times [more people here than] what we would normally do on a Friday evening. It was wonderful to have supporter groups out, bringing their kids, playing soccer in the front yard, and just pregame before the match. It was a lot of fun.”

Lowe says he’s already looking to improve the guest experience in the future by showing games on the big-screen TVs inside the brewery. He also says he saw foot traffic from every direction during the last game.

“We’re only about a quarter-mile walk from the entry gate. We actually had a lot of people parking here setting up having a good time, getting the energy going, joining up with the supporter groups and then marching over,” Lowe said. “It was interesting, we also had people walking over walking from the stadium here to maybe spend a little bit of time here at Fractal before going back to the stadium.”

Improving guest experience is also something HCFC is looking to improve week-to-week, whether it’s keeping concession stand lines short or managing the traffic flow.

“We are just really grateful that Huntsville loves HCFC. It’s been a huge response,” said Chad Emerson, the managing director of business operations at Huntsville FC. “Everyone has continued to buy more tickets and buy more merchandise and ask us ‘When can we come and enjoy that experience again?’ and tonight’s the night.”

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