Businesses Cope With Last-Minute Rush Before New Year's
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Before the countdown to the New Year begins, several local businesses count on one last rush of 2014.
Grocery and liquor stores count New Year's Eve as one of the busiest days of the year and holiday season.
For taxi drivers, the night really gets going a few hours before midnight.
"It's the best night of the year to drive a taxi," Rainbow Taxi cab driver Damon Cuccia said. "Starting about 8 p.m. our phones will blow up. There will also be people all over the place on the streets."
For other businesses, the rush starts much earlier.
"It's nonstop, and the closer it gets to New Years, the busier it gets," Rick Dehn, who is working his 35th New Year's Eve at Kowalskis, said. "It's very busy and we sell a lot of seafood on New Year's Eve."
Extra shipments are just in time at South Lyndale Liquor.
"There's a rush all day. It's like Christmas Eve. It's all day," proprietor Dan Campo said. "If it's in a rock song, rap song, a country song, or R&B song, people are going to buy a whole bunch of it tonight and celebrate."
New Year's Eve is also the busiest day of the year at the salon Blast Blow Dry Bar.
"We have four locations and every location is packed back-to-back," manager Laniesa Williams said. "We have a few parties coming in and a wedding party coming in."
Most of the places WCCO talked with had team meetings to get them ready for the busy day. And with the exception of the cab drivers, most of the employees will be done with work in time to celebrate the new year.