WQAD Quad Cities:Â Ragbrai stop means cash for area businesses
Nicole MurphyReporter
10:31 PM CST, January 31, 2010
DUBUQUE, Iowa – Bicyclist will dip their tires in the Mississippi River along the Dubuque river bank this summer. Ragbrai 38 announced its route for the ride across Iowa starting July 25 and the city will be the finish line for cyclists.
Businesses in downtown Dubuque are looking forward to the thousands of tourists coming to town. Caroline’s Restaurant and Hotel Julien just opened their doors in August. Their are looking forward to the sales from this event. “I believe hotel sales will definitely go up and probably staying in our hotel,” says Food and Beverage Manager Brian Hoffman. “We’ll be getting a few familiesÂ…so I image that it will help our business for sure.”
One of the town’s oldest restaurants is ready to seat the visitors that will come through, too. Owner Zoro Saliu says warmer weather boosts his business and Ragbrai will keep his waitresses busy. “(There’s) always more tourist coming into town, especially in the summertime. All the activities that go on in this town, this is the location to be,” says Saliu.
Ragbrai 38 will start in Sioux City and will make overnight stops in Storm Lake, Algona, Clear Lake, Charles City, Waterloo and Manchester before ending in Dubuque. It is the shortest and flattest routes in the history of the ride at 442 miles.
