Some local businesses in Las Vegas are far from pleased with F1, with this weekend’s race keeping customers away
The 2023 Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix is having a detrimental effect on local businesses, a restaurant owner has claimed. The race has cost over half a billion pounds and nine months to put together – but it hasn’t stopped a number of issues from presenting themselves.
Fans, who were hoping to catch a glimpse of cars on the street circuit on Thursday were treated to only a few laps of action before the first practice session was abandoned as a result of a loose manhole damaging Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari and Esteban Ocon’s Alpine. The second practice session didn’t start until 2:30am local time with no fans in attendance and it didn’t finish until after 4am.
There has been a number of issues off the track surrounding the event’s construction and it appears to be hitting local business hard. The owner of Battista’s Hole in the Wall, Randy Markin, says his business has lost hundreds of customers a night as a result of the F1 race and its exclusionary construction, which has made it difficult for visitors to navigate their way around the city.
“We have at least 100 cancellations every night. It’s always the same line, people call up and say, ‘I’m really sorry, I can’t get there. Cabs won’t take us and car services won’t take us,’” he told FOX5. Markin, who is also the General Manager of Stage Door Casino on Linq Lane, revealed the losses the Casino has taken in a short time. “At Stage Door, we’re down a million and a half dollars in sales and that has really hurt my employees,” said Markin.
Popular AYCE seafood buffet was also pictured dead, with zero lines and zero customers. “When they add up the economic benefits of F1, we trust they’ll deduct losses at off-Strip casinos like Palms. Popular AYCE seafood buffet has zero customers, zero line. Bonus: Ask shows how many millions they’re losing over the next few days,” a Las Vegas travel source page on X said.
