Danville businesses react to VIR impact

Although Clifton Glasscock, the general manager of Buffalo Wild Wings in Danville, knew that VIR benefitted his business, he said Friday he was a little surprised to learn just how much money VIR brings into the community.

An economic impact study by Chmura Economics & Analytics released Thursday reported that the financial impact of VIR on the surrounding region brought in $77.5 million annually, with $44.9 million coming from visitor spending, of which Danville gets 51 percent and Pittsylvania County gets 27 percent.

Halifax County, where VIR is located, gets the remaining 22 percent.

“We get a phenomenal amount of people in during the VIR events,” Glasscock said. “We have several race teams who come, and we get to overstaff a bit. You definitely mark your calendar for their events.”

He said that March is always the restaurant’s biggest month due to college basketball’s March Madness, but VIR’s Big Kahuna Race in mid-August has made August the second best month.

“Last year we went out, did advertising and had a wing-eating contest as well as sponsoring the Fan Party Night,” he said.

Ham’s General Manager Shaun Robertson also keeps track of the VIR calendar, knowing he will have to add extra staff.

“Race teams come in throughout the weekend to relax in our nice atmosphere after a hard day,” he said. “We greatly appreciate all they do and hope they continue to keep growing.”

Ham’s has been in Danville for 14 years now, and Robertson said he has seen the influence from VIR since it opened 10 years ago.

In fact, the proximity of VIR was one of the considerations when Buffalo Wild Wings selected Danville as a location three years ago.

“In our business, being sports-related, we do look at the sports markets,” Glasscock said. “We considered the Martinsville Speedway, VIR, Averett University and all the high schools in the area.”

Hotels, as well as restaurants, are recipients of the spending VIR visitors bring to the community.

Vickie Barber, general manager of Courtyard by Marriott in Danville, said that visitors to VIR bring in 3 percent of the hotel’s annual revenue.

She also puts VIR events on the calendar and knows she will need extra staff at those times.

“VIR is instrumental in bringing in business during the race weekends,” she said. “VIR is a good group, and we have always enjoyed a good working relationship with everyone there and the teams who come in.”

Niles Daly, president of Daly Seven Inc., which owns the Courtyard, said Friday that VIR helps round out their business on the weekend.

Laurie Moran, president of the Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce, called VIR a “tremendous asset” to the region on Friday.

“It provides a huge economic benefit, as the recent study indicated,” she said. “The Chamber has fielded numerous inquiries in recent years from prospective businesses and persons wishing to relocate because they had come to VIR and fallen in love with the community. That’s a huge benefit to our region when we have businesses and people moving here as a result of the great experience they had at VIR.”

Contact Elzey at or (434) 791-7991.