From Pizza to Coneys, Businesses Cash in On the Dream Cruise

Crowds of people are lined up, sometimes two rows deep, on the thin grass median between the pavement of Woodward Avenue and the slightly elevated parking lot of the Kingswood Square in Bloomfield Township.

And Patrick Foster hopes they’re hungry.

As owner of the Jet’s Pizza in the not-so-obvious-from-the-road strip mall, he’s banking on it.

Foster began selling his $5 small pizza special and $1 soft drinks in earnest Thursday as gawkers started lining up for the Woodward Dream Cruise. An owner of multiple franchises, he said it didn’t take long for him to recognize the unique opportunity the Dream Cruise provides to increase his current and future business.

“This is a great event, a family event, and we want to help make it a family affair,” he said of the deal, which amounts to a $2 savings for customers. “If they haven’t had Jet’s before, hopefully they’ll try it and come back.”

Just a few doors down, staff at the Mallia Salon said they appreciate the excitement the event draws to the workplace, but they admit they don’t expect to be very busy with walk-ins Saturday.

“I used to work in Birmingham, and we just closed down during the Dream Cruise because people just couldn’t get to us,” stylist Barb Urban said. “It’s a little different here with traffic, and we’re open.”

As one might expect, local restaurants seem to benefit most from the increased traffic that the Dream Cruise brings to the Bloomfield area.

“It’s our busiest weekend of the year, so it’s always a big deal,” said Carol Duty, manager of Kerby’s Koney Island.

The restaurant extends into the parking lot and sets up a tent with hot dogs and Dream Cruise T-shirts. Extra staff are planned throughout the event.

Little Daddy's in Bloomfield Hills also extended its hours, until 10 p.m., and offers a special menu throughout the day.

For more coverage, see the Bloomfield Patch Dream Cruise page.