The NH Primary Brings in the Bucks

By Rebecca Kaufman on Friday, January 23, 2004.

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The holidays have ended.

And winter has settled in for real.

The start of the year can be a cold, slow time for Manchester's businesses.

But every four years, January heats up in the state's largest city.

It's the heart of the Presidential Primary.

The conventional argument from First-In-the-Nation advocates is the primary's political value far outweighs the economic one.

And hotel managers and pizza parlor owners in the Queen City say they appreciate the retail politics.

But they really like the flurry of business it leaves behind.

New Hampshire Public Radio's Rebecca Kaufman has the story.

Track 1 11:58 did you want room for milk?...12:43 sound of cash register?here you go sir thankyou?

When Elainee Antonopolis opened the Gala Café ¡nd Pizzeria seven weeks ago, her timing couldn?t have been better.

Track 1 1:10 when we opened we didn?t even think of the primaries, we just were focused on opening and then all of a sudden we got everybody from all the campaigns coming in, and we noticed the shirts and the hats, the pins and we were like ?oh yea! The primaries?, so it was actually kind of exciting because it?s an extra boost.

A 30 % boost, Antonopolis estimates.

And as election day nears, she?s seen a growing demand for double lattes and homemade cannolis.

Located in the center of campaign headquarter row on downtown?s Elm Street, the Gala Café ©s a natural meeting spot.

Antonopolis says that means campaign staffers are in and out all day long.

Track 1 7:17: it?s really funny when they?re all in, all the different campaigns, like clark?s in, edward?s in, dean?s in, and they?re over there, and the other ones are over here, they?re all looking at eachother, they kind of know eachother, and they?re kind of looking at eachother like ?hey what?s up??, it?s funny, I get a kick out of it?

The most popular beverage for young campaign staffers, other than coffee, could very well be beer.

Track 3 :15 Rolling Stones Music

On a recent Friday night at the Wild Rover Pub, campaign workers made up nearly 60 percent of the two room bar.

Track 2: :14 business is fantastic, 9:00 on, getting tons of campaign workers in here, beer?booze, it?s huge

William LaForge is the bar manager at the Wild Rover.

He has worked there 8 years and witnessed a few primaries roll through the city.

But never before has he seen the assortment of staffers at the bar at least six nights a week.

Track 2 1:11 figure in any night of an influx of 30-40 people in a size bar like this, it?s tremendous, tips for the bar, money into the house, beer sales very much up, oh yeah.

All across the state, many local businesses are experiencing a similar primary boost.

It?s still unclear how much money this year?s primary will bring into the state.

But the 2000 election contributed 300 million dollars to the state?s economy.

That number is a very small fraction of New Hampshire?s overall gross state product?only 6/10 of one percent.

But Michael Cheney from the New Hampshire Political Library says that doesn?t mean it?s not significant.

1:58 In certain sectors of the economy and even in certain identifiable businesses, it has a tremendous economic impact.

The first of those businesses that comes to Cheney?s mind is Manchester?s Center of New Hampshire Holiday Inn.

2:08 I would venture to say January of 2005 is far different at the Center of New Hampshire Holiday Inn, for example, than January 2004.

Every four years, the Center of New Hampshire is better known among political reporters as the Center of the Universe.

General Manager Sean O?Kane.

Track 2 :18 we have abc news, tv and radio, nbc, c-span, and all three have set up production in our larger spaces, we have a japanese network?we have a couple of local tv stations out of maine, one out of boston a couple of radio stations from around the northeast?

And, primary-related guests occupy all of their 250 hotel rooms.

1:53 you?ll see so many of the people you see on the Sunday news walking through here and working but it?s exciting to see them in one building, and where they are the candidates come and so at any given moment a candidate with his press entourage will walk through the lobby and going the other direction is a candidate with his contingent

The 2000 primary increased the Center?s revenues by 180%.

O?Kane says a slower economy in recent years means 2004 won?t be nearly as profitable.

But he?s not worried about future demand.

Track 3 1:10 it?s safe to say that if someone else came to us the day after the primary and said what can you do for me in 2008, we?re gonna say at this moment nothing because we?re holding rooms for the existing media outlets that we work with

12:00 café ®oise

Down the street at the Gala Café¬ owner Elainee Antonpolis says most of the campaign staffers that have become her regulars are from out of state.

But she, too, expects them to return.

Track 1 6:12 I?m gonna miss a couple of them when they leave, you know it?s an experience, but I?m sure they?ll come back, for the cannoli.

For NHPR news, I?m RK.