Tulare businesses prep for World Ag Expo

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The general manager of Cool Hand Luke's in Tulare says in the three days the World Ag Expo is here, he gets between 300 to 400 customers each day coming in to eat.

The bar is packed with people for Super Bowl Sunday, not the same story inside the restaurant where some tables and chairs are just empty. "The restaurant itself is rather slow," general manager Ben Martins said. Though, he's not too concerned about the lack of customers.

"Tomorrow night it will be packed," Martins said. "All because of the World Ag Expo.

The three-day event, he says, more than doubles his weekly average in sales. "It is definitely our biggest week here in Tulare," Martins explained.

The expo brings close to 100,000 people to the Central Valley, which is why Martins not only has to increase his number of deliveries but also the number of staff showing up to work. "I posted the schedule yesterday and they were all excited because everybody is working hours," Martins said.

Everybody like Natasha Wisniewski who is thankful to be working a full load this week. "I'm really looking forward to it because I'm young, and I like to do a lot of things with my money, go shopping," Wisniewski said.

That's just what a number of folks heading out to the expo will be doing, shopping and scoping out some of the latest farm equipment. And organizers for the event want those planning to show up to know they will be doing something new at the gates. We will be checking bags," expo CEO Jerry Sinift said. "We're not going to go through them just open them up to see what's in there."