Bricktown Businesses Hope for a Slam Dunk this Thunder Season

By Jon Jordan, NEWS 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -- While Thunder fans are optimistic about the upcoming season, Bricktown business owners are hoping for a slam dunk to their bottom line.

After the Ford Center was closed this summer for renovations, several Bricktown business were hurt with the decreased traffic. That's just another reason businesses in the area are glad to see the basketball season start back up.

According to the Bricktown Association, some businesses will see an increase in revenue anywhere from 20 to 40 percent on game nights. In fact events like Thunder basketball account for a large number of their annual sales. A large reason for the increased revenue is because the games often attract people from outside the metropolitan area.

"It's not just from in town, my gosh. They come from all over the state. When you have those kinds of numbers, it gives you the opportunity to grab their attention and maybe do some business with them," said Avis Scaramucci, owner of Nonna's Euro-American Restaurant.

The Oklahoma City Thunder tipped off Wednesday night against the Sacramento Kings to officially open the Thunder's 2009-2010 season.

Read more about the Thunder's opening night on OKBlitz.com