PGA Championship brings in big business -- but not for everyone in Bethpage

Bethpage business owners say they lose money and customers during the PGA Championship.

News 12 Staff

May 13, 2019, 9:56 PM

Updated 1,802 days ago

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As excitement is mounting for another major golf event at Bethpage State Park, many business owners in downtown Bethpage are less than thrilled about the PGA Championship starting later this week.
John Coumatos, owner of B.K. Sweeny's Parkside Tavern on Broadway, and other business owners say they actually lose money and customers during the major golf event. They say road closures make it difficult to access shops and restaurants on Broadway.
Legislators and the Chamber of Commerce are asking people attending the golf championship to also spend time downtown. The plan is to have a shuttle bus running between Bethpage State Park and downtown Bethpage, where they'll drop off people after the golf tournament.
Frit Nokaj, an owner of Three Brothers Pizzeria on Broadway, says the past two PGA Championships have hurt his business. And he says not only do people from the tournament not come to get pizza, he loses his regular customers due to a lack of parking.
Bethpage is holding a downtown street fair this weekend, hoping to entice people to spend time in the area.


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