Hotels And Restaurants Miss Business And Energy Of BlueCross Bowl

First weekend in 12 years high school football championships will not be played in Cookeville.

The BlueCross Bowl will be played in Chattanooga instead this weekend and local businesses are missing the influx of people. Cookeville’s Hampton Inn General Manager Ricky Cherry said for his employees, the weekend meant guaranteed hours in what is usually a slow month.

“Heads in beds means Christmas presents under the tree and that works with a lot of the employees that work in the hotel industry,” Cherry said. “Their time is dictated on how long they’re here to clean, to cook, etc.”

Cherry said he will miss the excitement of having teams stay at his hotel. But, as the hotel leader, Cherry said he worries more about his employees and filling the void to give enough hours.

37 Cedar Restaurant and Bar Owner Kevin Maxwell said for him, the atmosphere from fans that come to the downtown area is what he will miss the most.

“When all the people out of town came into town they had a good energy,” Maxwell said. “They were there to play football. I remember the last couple of years we’ve had pretty decent weather. So, it brought a good feeling to town. Obviously, one of the things that is important is bringing more people and knowledge to Cookeville.”

Maxwell said the restaurant looked forward to the weekend each year.