Tens of thousands of runners are set to hit the streets in the Bank of America Chicago Marathon on Sunday, but Maurizio Michi’s big race is today.
“The day before marathon day is the busiest day of the year, every year,” said Michi, who owns Italian restaurant, Sofi. “Our marathon is on Saturday.”
Like most Italian restaurants in the city, Sofi, located just a few blocks from where the runners take off in Grant Park, is fully booked the evening before the race.
“They’re looking for lots of carbs,” said Michi, standing in the middle of the dimly lit dining room. “We never disappoint.”
The Chicago Marathon has long been a huge driver of economic activity for businesses along the race route and the city at large. Last year, the marathon infused nearly $756 million into the Chicago metropolitan area economy, according to an independent study by Jones & Associates Economics.
Of the more than 55,000 runners who participated last year, more than 75% came from out of state, according to the study, staying in hotels, dining in restaurants and spending money at local businesses. The city’s tourism arm, Choose Chicago, estimated that 1.7 million spectators lined the course.
And because the 26.2-mile route weaves through 29 different neighborhoods, the economic impact is more widespread than for other city events, said Tim Little, a business banking Midwest region executive at Bank of America.
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“You might go into a neighborhood you normally wouldn’t,” Little said of the spectators who line the route. “And when you’re out, you got some time to kill before somebody comes through, you’re gonna go check out a restaurant.”
“We get a lot of people who’re waiting for their parents or family,” said Angel Diaz, owner of Frida Room, a brunch restaurant in Pilsen. “It’s a nonstop day.”
Fueling the athletes is not something the Sofi staff takes lightly. During marathon weekend, the kitchen staff increases portion sizes for pasta orders, Michi said.
“That’s why people will come again,” Michi said with a grin, “because we get them what they want.”
Michi and his team handmade triple the typical amount of pasta for the weekend, and doubled their usual ingredient order.
Marathon runners are not the heaviest spenders at dinner, Michi said, because they don’t typically linger around the table. In fact, most dine between 4 and 7 p.m., Michi said.
They also don’t splurge on alcohol.
“People that are running a marathon, they get inebriated with pasta,” Michi said.
Intelligentsia Coffee provides something that is equally in demand over race weekend. The company brews coffee in bulk overnight to serve event volunteers, who start arriving at 3 a.m. on Sunday.
“Wherever volunteers are, we’ve got coffee at the ready,” said Lori Haughey, vice president of operations for Intelligentsia.
The coffee chain, which has been in business for 31 years, has two locations downtown and one in Lakeview, all of which are within blocks of the race route. The store hours vary across each location, but on Sunday they will all open at 6 a.m. to maximize their business during marathon traffic, Haughey said.
“We’re a Chicago company,” Haughey said. “This is our hometown, and we really want to support such a large event that goes right past our coffee bars.”
To meet the runners and spectators right on the path, Intelligentsia is setting up a coffee truck on the corner of Ida B. Wells Drive and Michigan Avenue at 4:30 a.m. Sunday.
“It’s really cool to see how many people drink tons of coffee right before running 26.2 miles,” Haughey said.
The company even crafted a special “26.2 blend” that runners and spectators can buy in packets. The lightly roasted beans and herbal blend are designed to be easier on the runners’ stomachs, said Haughey.
Asian-style restaurant BellyBowl doubled its profits on marathon day last year at its South Loop location, according to restaurant ownership.
The marathon brings new customers into the restaurant, which is run by married couple Ivan Williams and Stephanie Gong.
“It’s not just the racers that come, it’s their families,” Williams said. “So those who are already from Chicago, they try out this new restaurant and they come back.”
Belly Bowl consequently makes an effort to impress visitors on marathon day.
“We gotta be on point, everything with the speed of the drinks, speed of the food, and I don’t want to have a wrong order,” Williams said.
To keep up with the intense demand, BellyBowl uses multiple food delivery robots to bring drinks and dishes to hungry customers in a timely and coordinated fashion.
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“This is Bella,” Williams said as a small yellow robot with face-like features cruised over to the edge of a table to deliver a strawberry milk tea drink.
“When it’s super busy, it’s very helpful,” he said of the robots, who will supplement an already doubled staff on Sunday.
“Every year I feel like it gives us more customers,” Williams said of the marathon. “I feel proud to be able to host these people.”