PITTSFORD, N.Y. — Bills Mafia is once again welcoming Bills players to Pittsford as they gear up for the return of football. Bills training camp at St. John Fisher University starts on Wednesday, and every year, it brings a boost for local businesses.
News10NBC’s Garrett Chan spoke with business owners about how they’re gearing up to serve Bills Mafia. Amy Genthner, a server at Village Coal Tower Restaurant, said the restaurant opens at 8 a.m. and expects to see fans after practice starts at 8:30 a.m. Genthner said there’s a lot of pride to see Bills fans support not only their team but also local hotspots.
RELATED: See News10NBC’s coverage of Bills training camp
“It’s great to see the fans. You can tell when people have come from camp. They always have their gear on and are excited to talk about who they saw. And sometimes, you know, you see they had an autograph, which is nice,” Genthner said.
Pat Bernunzio, owner of Leo’s Bakery and Deli in East Rochester, said business picks up from the first day of training camp through the entire football season. The cake decorators know the Bills schedule and plan a boost on gameday.
“Whenever there’s a game, if it’s a Thursday night, if it’s a Sunday, if it’s whenever Saturday during the later part of the season, we always know the schedule,” Bernunzio said. “The cake decorators who do all the cookies and stuff, they know the Bills schedule, and they always prepare a day ahead.”
Local businesses are hoping to see Bills players, staff, and Bills legends stop by as well. Scott Thyroff, owner of Pittsford Pub, said some big names have stopped by during training camp, including legendary Bills quarterback Jim Kelly. Last year, the entire Bills team stopped by Pittsford Farm Dairy for ice cream, which was featured on the HBO series “Hard Knocks”.
This year, the Bills’ practice starts at 8:30 a.m. every day, earlier than previous years. Thyroff said the earlier start time is better for businesses.
“During training camp throughout the past few years, the camp is being held in the morning and finishing around 11, 11:30, we get very, very busy for lunch,” he said. “Typically we have a full patio with a waitlist. The inside gets busy. The bar gets busy, and it tends to linger until maybe 2:30 to three o’clock in the afternoon.”
Schedule for training camp
The Bills will hold seven open practices at Fisher: Wednesday, July 29, Thursday, July 30, Saturday, Aug. 1, Monday, Aug. 3, Tuesday, Aug. 4, Thursday, Aug. 6, and Friday, Aug. 7
The people who got tickets for the camp through the lottery system have already been notified by email. This marks the 25th year of training camp at Fisher. Each practice kicks off at 8:30 a.m. Practice times are subject to change.
Where to park
Don’t expect to park at Fisher. The only public parking option on the Bills’ website is at Nazareth University. Those who park there have to take a shuttle to Fisher for $1.
That shuttle starts running each day at 7:15 a.m., and the end time varies from 11:30 a.m. to noon. Doors to the camp open at 7:30 a.m.
CPR demonstrations at Bills training camp
The American Heart Association will be at Bills training camp each day to teach fans hands-only CPR. Fans can learn lifesaving skills through UR Medicine’s mobile CPR kiosk, a touch screen device with instructions that can give feedback.
News10NBC has gotten to check out the mobile CPR kiosk several times, including during previous Bills training camps. Bills safety Damar Hamlin has challenged people to learn CPR ever since trainers saved his life after he went into cardiac arrest during a game in January of 2023.
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