Local businesses react to announcement that Rye Playland will open Memorial Day weekend
For businesses located near Playland, they're happy knowing that summer business won't be affected.
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Local businesses in Rye are now reacting to the announcement that Playland Park will open in a few weeks.
"We're just happy to see it still open," says Rowan Epstein, manager at Rye Grill & Bar.
Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins announced that Playland Park is slated to open this Memorial Day weekend.
"As a local business, especially in the summer, we do get a lot of people coming here after going there," says Epstein.
This announcement comes after an emergency order was issued to expedite the opening of the amusement park's 2025 season.
The order allowed the county to hire Zamperla Inc., to do emergency work to inspect, repair and maintain the rides.
That decision comes as officials navigate a legal dispute between the park's former operator, Standard Amusements, a company that county officials say left it in poor condition.
But officials from Standard Amusements told News 12 that they "significantly improved" the park.
"Standard Amusements had every intention of continuing its efforts to restore Playland, and we remain deeply saddened that the County made it impossible to realize our vision," the company said in a statement.
For businesses located near Playland, they're happy knowing that summer business won't be affected.
"We get big groups from Playland," says Sienna Connelly, an employee at Longford's Ice Cream. "The line usually goes around the corner."
Local businesses say they haven't been too concerned about it. But now that it's officially opening in a few weeks, they're thrilled and relieved.
"We get a lot of calls like, 'Hey we're at Rye Playland can you take 10 of us?' all the time throughout the summer, which is great for us," says Epstein.
"Everyone from different areas heads to playland and they usually travel back here so that's more business, more families coming through," says Connelly.
