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Anderson businesses cash in on Colts camp

ANDERSON, Ind. (WISH)– From the outside looking in, The Lemon Drop looks bright yellow. Inside the restaurant, a different color takes over: blue.

A neon Colts sign. A toy Colts train that circles the dining area. A sign out front that reads “welcome, Colts fans.”

Owner Bill Pitts said business is up 25 percent thanks to Colts camp.

“We get a people from just all over the state. We’re pretty busy most of the time, but it makes it where it’s standing room alone,” Pitts said of the Colts being in town.

A mile from the Lemon Drop, the folks at McIntyre Jewelry put a new display in their window.

The owners stocked up on Colts jewelry and mini footballs.

“You get to meet people from everywhere, you know?” owner Steve McIntyre said. “They get down there, get all happy and clapping and they break their watch then come down here to get it fixed.”

You won’t likely see Andrew Luck sporting blue and white earrings, but folks have seen him grabbing a burger.

He wore a Lemon Drop t-shirt two years ago during a WISH-TV interview. He also stopped by the restaurant with his teammates. Pitts hung a picture of both instances.

“That makes us very proud,” Pitts said.

Fans are hoping he’ll stop by again. So far, no such Luck.

A spokesperson for the city of Anderson said the most recent statistics they have on Colts camp’s economic impact are from 2013, when city workers estimated the camp generated about $5 million for the local economy.