DES MOINES, Iowa — The wait is almost over: the 2023 Drake Relays will shift into full gear on Wednesday.
All those athletes and fans will be working up quite the appetite around the Blue Oval, and that's music to the ears of local business owners.
The Relays excitement starts early, as fans flock to the Drake neighborhood from across the country. Rico's at Drake, a bar in Dogtown, has been stocking up to get ready for them.
"They come in pretty early in the week, but usually by Wednesday," said Rico's owner Tray Rochon. "Thursday you can really tell the difference, see a lot more bodies, a lot more people walking around."
On the other side of campus, Panka Peruvian Chicken has been open for about two months.
The restaurant served crowds out of their food truck last year, but this will be their first Relays with the brick-and-mortar location, and expectations are high.
"The last few days, a lot of my neighbors were coming in telling me 'Well, good luck and be prepared for the Drake Relays,'" said Panka owner Mariela Maya.
Those Relays crowds are pretty much a constant, despite declining for a bit during COVID.
While businesses say attendance has largely rebounded, one thing they say has changed over time is where those crowds actually go.
"When I was early when I was here, it used to be University," Rochon said. "But over the years, it's kind of transitioned to the Forest side. So we prepare for it, but it isn't as crazy as it used to be on this side."
Even so, businesses are putting together some special deals to help get customers through the door. Panka has a discount for Drake students, plus a raffle for any Relays visitors.
"Every time that you buy something, we'll give you a coupon," Maya said. "And then every hour we are going to raffle something, from Drake like t-shirts, water bottles and things like that."
For a full list of events at this year's, Drake Relays click here