‘Going great’: Some South Florida business owners loving economic boost from Florida Panthers

WEST PALM BEACH Florida WPBF The Florida Panthers quest for the Stanley Cup is having a positive economic impact in South Florida It s good news for those in the hospitality business bar and restaurant owners as well as the tourism industry Aaron Ilharreguy runs the Locals Only Neighborhood Bar in Downtown West Palm Beach and reported they are in the process of expanding He s excited to welcome Florida Panthers and hockey fans to visit his business and enjoy the games It s been going great so far Ilharreguy commented Basically right now we re at a brand-new stage of getting new faces and new people from the neighborhood According to the Palm Beach County Sports Commission ice hockey events in the region created an estimated million economic impact through hotel room nights and other related spending during fiscal year The Panthers previous back-to-back cup runs and generated more than million in economic impact according to the Fort Lauderdale Downtown Advancement Authority DDA