Merchants have high hopes for annual Frisco Festival

ROGERS — An estimated 40,000 people will make their way in, through and around downtown Rogers during this weekend's Frisco Festival, which is enough to get merchants' mouths watering for lots of sales. It's an easy assumption to make, but Main Street Rogers President Kerry Jensen warned it might be ill-advised. The payoff for businesses, he said, could come in the weeksafter the festival.

Jensen's expectation, which mirrors recent years, is that visitors to the Frisco Festival will not be in the mood to carry purchases, certainly not large items.

So he's encouraged shop owners to expect low sales, despite high traffic, in the hopes that the people they meet will return as customers in the near future.

"It's a time for introductions," Jensen said.

And many of the businesses are sticking to that philosophy, which they have for many events in the past.

"If there's people in the street and the door's open, they'll come in," said Frank Romeo of Romeo's Downtown Pipe and Tobacco Co. But two new businessesare looking to buck the trend and may have the products to do it. Maybe it's no coincidence they both sell food.

Michael Bishop opened hisshop only a couple of weeks ago, but his candy has already drawn crowds. His biggest problem so far has been a propensity to run out of the confections he makes with his own hands.

And there was no festival to add to his customer base.

With candy available by the quarter pound at his Second Street shop, it's a good fit for a person or family walking around Frisco Festival while snacking on sweets. But with 40,000 people expected, Bishop's back to that one problem.

For this weekend, Bishop wants to satisfy demand, even if it means staying open late.

"We will certainly have extended hours, as long as customers come in," he said.

Just in case the people come, he plans to be ready with close to 100 pounds of fudge.This being his first year, he's not sure ifthat is too much or too little.

"Next year, we will (try to predict demand), but I can't make any predictions for this," Bishop said.

A block and a half south, however, Rolando and Sherri Cuzco were hard at work Thursday to do the unthinkable. The couple are taking a much anticipated restaurantandopeningittheday Frisco Festival begins. The Fort Smith version of Rolando's is already being inundated with calls about the Rogers branch, according to manager Suki Dancer, and the tables weren't all in place Thursday afternoon. With the extra traffic from the festival, Rolando's could be mobbed.

"We are nervous," Rolando Cuzco said. "Everybody's nervous."

And while it seems all the expectations seem solid - candy and Cuban cooking will sell,while big-ticket and large items may sell next week - it may not work out that way.

Bruce Parker has been the co-owner of Dollar Saver for 30 years, five years longer than the Frisco Festival has been in Rogers. He said the store usually has a good weekend that carries over for several weeks, but his experience has taught him what to expect: "Anything and everything."