LONG POND, Pa. — Pocono Resort in Kidder Township is preparing for a busy weekend.
Pocono Raceway will be hosting its first in-person NASCAR doubleheader, and that means big business for the hotel industry in this part of the Poconos.
"Oh, it looks really good. We are packed. We are full on both Friday and Saturday. We haven't been this full in a long time, so we are excited about the race," said Dave Carroll, the front desk manager at Pocono Resort.
The hotel has more than 120 rooms, and each one is accounted for.
Carroll says it's nice to see things slowly get back to normal. The pandemic hasn't been kind to the hospitality industry.
"It's been really tough this last year, year and a half. We were pretty much just weekends and even very little on the weekends also. Weekdays have been really slow. We are slowly picking up, and now the summertime has started, so we are getting better and better, but this is our big kick-off," said Carroll.
And what's a NASCAR race without some beer?
At Harmony Beverage, cases are literally stacked to the ceiling, so it's safe to say workers here are ready for the crowds.
"Last year with COVID, everything was kind of just lull, but to see the race fans and get the beer sales up, it's pretty good for the business," said Kaila Cherba, Harmony Beverage.
Harmony Beverage is not far from the track. It's where thousands of fans pick up their beer. Workers have been preparing for the rush.
"We have everything. Seltzers, White Claws, IPA's, slushies, everything in that category. We are definitely ready for everyone to be here," said Cherba.