Every August, about 40,000 people show up in Shelby for the American Legion World Series.
The tournament runs six days, pulls in teams and families from all over the country, and brings $15 to $16 million into the local economy. Over 1,500 hotel rooms get booked. For a week, Shelby’s population basically doubles.
Your regular customers already know where you are. Locals walk or drive past your business all the time. Some of them have probably noticed you even if they’ve never come in.
But what about visitors from out of town?
For the 40,000 visitors who show up, it’s probably their first time in Shelby. They don’t know your shop is three blocks from the ballpark, or that you’re open late during tournament week, or that you make the best barbecue in Cleveland County. All they have is their phone.
So they search. “Restaurants near me.” “Coffee shop in Shelby NC.” “Things to do tonight.” And whatever shows up on that screen is, as far as they’re concerned, what exists.
If your business isn’t showing up because you have no Google Business Profile, no reviews, or a website Google can’t read, you’re invisible to every one of those searches. Doesn’t matter how good your food is or how long you’ve been in business. You’re just not there.
This is why the foundation matters for every business, not just the ones chasing tourists. Locals might find you out of habit, word of mouth, or just driving by enough times. Visitors don’t get any of that. And visitors are exactly the kind of customers who try somewhere new, post about it, and come back next year.
40,000 people are coming to Shelby August 13 – 18, 2026 for the annual American Legion World Series. Many of them will be hungry, looking for something to do between games, or just walking around downtown killing time. The question is whether your business shows up when they search.
I’m Brian Tart. I run Brian Goes Local in Shelby, NC and help businesses in Cleveland and Rutherford counties get found online. I’ll take a look for free. Or call 704.300.0252.