HAMILTON, Ohio — The solar eclipse may have only lasted a few minutes, but for businesses in the path of totality, its impact will be felt for months.
In Hamilton, the Chamber of Commerce estimates more than 5,000 packed Marcum Park, and businesses throughout the city got heavy foot traffic.
Tano Bistro sits directly across the street from the park, and director of operations Tyler McCleary is proud of his staff for handling a marathon of customers.
“We’ve had busy days. This was on another level — it was nuts,” he said.
The team planned for it to be busy, but McCleary said he didn’t expect it to reach the level it did. It was the second busiest day Tano has ever had, the first being the 2022 Pride parade.
“That’s usually a Saturday,” he said. “This[was] a Monday … I think a lot of people kind of made it their vacation.”
Lynda Layman said despite the heavy crowds and long lines, the local businesses handled everything with grace. The nice weather and enthusiasm made the wait times easier, she said.
“I do not think they knew the scale of what was coming,” Layman said. “But they did great.”
Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Dan Bates said while the city was prepared for the influx of visitors, the business community was less prepared for the scale at which people wanted to patronize establishments.
Municipal Brew Works had a line of over 100 people for hours. Pinball Garage was at capacity. Alexander’s Market and Deli did three times the normal day’s business and ran out of items before finally closing when it could no longer serve people.
“We’re sorry that some people got turned away, but at the same time, when you’re doing that kind of business in one day, it’s really a gift,” Bates said.
The city saw people from across the country, but the chamber is particularly interested in those from out of town.
Hamilton’s business community is rapidly growing, anchored by the Spooky Nook sports complex. The solar eclipse drawing in thousands locally was also an opportunity to show visitors from locations around the Tri-State what the city has to offer.
“There's only so much revenue you can get from the locals,” Bates said. “We're getting more and more used to having people from out of town … looking for fun things to do. That's a major plus to our economy.”
Similarly, Kathryn Rawlinson, vice president of marketing and communications for Travel Butler County, said she hopes people will come back for another visit to explore further.
“People were selling out of t-shirts and beer and everything you can think of; it was flying off the shelf,” Rawlinson said. “Honestly, it's a little weird that it's over now after a year of planning and prep. But yeah, we're on to the next big exciting thing.”
It’ll be difficult for anything to eclipse something like the 2024 celestial event, but many towns in the path of totality are now on the minds of people across the Tri-State.
Bates joked with Hamilton Parks Department staff: “How can we make another eclipse happen next year?”
