Are you "...Ready For It"? The countdown is on and the fan frenzy is growing as Taylor Swift gets ready to rock out MetLife Stadium over Memorial Day weekend.
The three-night run from Friday-Sunday is sold out, and with the stadium's capacity at 82,000, it means about a quarter of a million Swifties will descend upon the area. And as any fan or anyone looking for a ticket knows, resale ticket prices are sky high.
But those selling tickets aren't the only ones looking to cash in. Businesses around the East Rutherford stadium are looking forward to the opportunity for a holiday weekend boon.
"Call It What You Want," but North Jersey is ready to bask in that “After Glow" of the Eras Tour concerts. If you need a ride to the concert, "It's Nice to Have a Friend" like Doug Palsi, who runs the nearby Redd's Restaurant and Bar. Thanks to his family-run business, there's no need for a "Getaway Car" — they will be offering up shuttle rides to MetLife Stadium.
It's doubtful Palsi minds the trips though. "I Think He Knows" it'll be a busy few days, comparted to what is typically a slow holiday weekend.
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"Typically all over North Jersey is very slow. We’re gonna mobbed Friday, Saturday, Sunday and we can’t wait," said Palsi. "It gets us through an entire quarter. Small business, this is tremendous, this gets us over the hump. It’s huge."
Palsi's 89-year-old mother, Elsie, better known as Tootsie to her friends ("just like the roll," as she says), may be Swift's newest fan. She views the expected rush of fans not as more "Champagne Problems," but rather as a potential "Gold Rush."
"This weekend, anyone who gives us business, I'm all for them," she said.
When it comes to merchandise, it's important to show up in "Style." The American Dream Mall across the street from the stadium is in a "Lavender Haze" with all things Swift.
For Eras Tour gear to even a pair of tickets raffled off each night, the mall is throwing a days-long party throughout the weekend — doing away with any thoughts of a "Cruel Summer."
Hotels in the area are pretty much filled up, thanks to the concert and it being a holiday weekend, and prices for the few remaining rooms are climbing. But the weekend's shows, they're "The One" that businesses hoped will turn a lot of "Red" into a whole lot of green.
