Like a home game in July. Chelsea and Wrexham soccer match scores for Chapel Hill.

The Carolina Inn in Chapel Hill is almost 100 years old, but guests saw something new in the lobby this week: a lion and dragon.

The cardboard figures were Stamford the Lion and Wrex the Dragon, mascots of the Chelsea and Wrexham Association football clubs, respectively, the soccer teams meeting Wednesday night at UNC’s Kenan Stadium.

Fans have followed the teams from all over the country and even across the pond to the college town, filling up hotels such as the Carolina Inn.

Heidi Werner Dawson, director of sales and marketing, said the inn has gained over 200 room nights this week because of the game. To prepare for the “big check-in days” on Tuesday and Wednesday, they increased the number of staff members working by about 15 people, or about 20%, she said.

“It definitely feels like a community town celebration for sure,” Werner Dawson said.

When the game was announced, the Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau was surprised to see all 51,000 seats sell out in four days, said Laurie Paolicelli, the executive director.

Hotels in Chapel Hill and Carrboro quickly sold out too, many for two nights and some for three nights, she said. The visitors bureau found fans had purchased tickets to the game from all 50 states as well as internationally, she added.

The game will generate an estimated $20 million in economic impact, counting money that guests will spend spend on lodging, airline tickets, other transportation costs, stadium costs, food, beverage and other retail, Paolicelli said.

“It’s kind of a record breaking July for Chapel Hill, in terms of new audiences, global audiences, and a fan base that is new for us,” Paolicelli said. “ And we’ve had a lot of wide-eyed people really loving the town.”

The Ryan Reynolds factor

Wrexham is owned by actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney and is featured in the documentary television show “Welcome to Wrexham,” which premiered on FX in August of 2022 and has contributed to the popularity of the game, Paolicelli said.

“Of course Chelsea has a global brand, but Wrexham and ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ has really helped publicity as well,” she said. “There’s been an amazing number of Wrexham fans coming in and talking about the TV show.”

Scott Maitland, owner of Top of the Hill, said his business approached Wednesday’s match like a home football game. While his restaurant does not take reservations on game days, Maitland said he did accept them from both the Wrexham and Chelsea teams.

Top of the Hill has put Wrexham and Chelsea flags up for the occasion and will offer Aviation American Gin, the gin company Reynolds is a partial owner of.

“It’s going to be a fun, memorable event, out of the ordinary,” Maitland said. “And it’s kind of cool to see Kenan Stadium used in this way, so it’s going to be a fun thing all around.”

Franklin Street visitors

Visitors on Franklin Street on Wednesday also saw another special decoration: a blue and white balloon arch outside the Shrunken Head, the oldest UNC-specific store in Chapel Hill.

Alana Loken, brand manager, said the store was not be selling any Chelsea or Wrexham gear but did order extra UNC soccer hats, stickers and T-shirts. The store has marked soccer jerseys half off Wednesday and will stay open past its usual 6 p.m. closing time until the game starts at 7:30 p.m.

Italian Pizzeria III on West Franklin Street also has a full night planned.

The restaurant, which will play the game on TV, will be delivering 54 pizzas and 20 different pasta dishes to the Chelsea team after the game, co-owner Angelo Marrone said. It also expects to sell 300 to 400 pizzas Wednesday night.

“We’re from Italy, so we’re big soccer people, and I’m looking forward to seeing this game tonight,” Marrone said.

Even businesses without special plans expect to benefit. Kris Chellani, owner of Classic Carolina, said he had already noticed more people walking along Franklin Street on Tuesday.

“I think every small business appreciates [the organizers of the game] just because, you know, summers are pretty quiet in Chapel Hill,” Chellani said. “So any reason to bring any more people around in Chapel Hill is appreciated.”

But beyond the merch and cardboard cutouts, might anyone see a certain Marvel movie star in town this week?

The Carolina Inn’s Werner Dawson hopes so.

“I know nothing about soccer so I don’t really care about the soccer, but I definitely care about seeing Ryan Reynolds,” she said.

The Orange Report

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