Duncan Hines Days boosts local business

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — Duncan Hines Days is doing more than celebrating one of Bowling Green’s most famous names — it’s helping drive customers through the doors of local businesses across the city.

The weeklong festival, which features more than two dozen events and dozens of participating restaurants, attractions and businesses, has become a major economic driver for downtown Bowling Green, according to Downtown Development Coordinator Telia Butler.

“Duncan Hines gives Bowling Green hours and hours and hours of folks from out of town or around the region a reason to come back to downtown if they’ve been here before or to come explore downtown for the first time,” Butler said.

More than a dozen downtown businesses are participating this year by offering specialty menu items, drinks, desserts and merchandise tied to the festival. Businesses ranging from restaurants and bars to retail shops have created unique offerings inspired by Duncan Hines’ legacy as a food writer, entrepreneur and traveler.

Among them is Atomic Kitchen, which created a special Duncan Hines Cake Shake for the event.

“We take Duncan Hines cake, make a whole slice, blend it into the milkshake with chocolate chips and chocolate ice cream, and then put another slice of cake on top,” said Atomic Kitchen owner Eric Leach. “It’s an overindulgence in chocolate, but we just wanted to have fun with Duncan Hines Days.”

Leach said the festival has already produced measurable results for his business.

Atomic Kitchen hosted a community bike ride Tuesday as part of Duncan Hines Days festivities, and Leach said sales during the event nearly doubled compared to a typical Tuesday evening.

“We about doubled our normal Tuesday night sales,” Leach said. “It was just a lot of fun seeing members of the community go on a bike ride, come back here and hang out.”

Butler said the festival’s impact extends beyond a single business. What began four years ago with roughly a dozen events has grown into 24 events at 22 host locations this year. Including Restaurant Week participants, nearly 40 businesses and organizations are involved.

The expanded reach gives smaller businesses an opportunity to gain exposure they might not otherwise receive.

“The power of group promotions is so strong when everyone does it together,” Butler said. “A downtown business is ultimately still getting promoted by folks that aren’t downtown and vice versa.”

Leach said events like Duncan Hines Days help generate more than immediate sales.

“Beyond sales, it’s brand awareness and foot traffic,” he said. “People go, ‘Hey, I’ve never heard about them. Maybe we should check them out.’”

Festival organizers have also seen attendance exceed expectations at several events. Butler said a Duncan Hines-themed event at Aviation Heritage Park recently attracted nearly 500 people, far surpassing organizers’ initial estimate of around 100 attendees.

“That is what makes Duncan Hines Days so special to these local museums and local businesses,” Butler said. “It’s the power of group promotions.”

While Duncan Hines Days may not draw the same one-day crowds as Bowling Green’s Harvest Festival, Butler said its weeklong format spreads visitors across multiple days, benefiting retailers, restaurants and attractions throughout the community.

She said the festival also helps showcase what makes Bowling Green unique.

“If someone visits Fountain Square and checks out all the stores, they’re going to find things that you can’t find anywhere else because it’s just Bowling Green,” Butler said.

Looking ahead, organizers hope Duncan Hines Days continues to grow into a signature event identified with Bowling Green in the same way other Kentucky communities are known for major annual festivals.

For Leach, the value is already clear.

“These events are massively important,” he said. “Anything that drives tourism and events downtown, we see a significant bump in our sales. Overall, it’s great for the entire community because it puts Bowling Green on the map and gives people a reason to come check out the city.”