Miss Tennessee is a win for Jackson
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JACKSON, Tenn. — Contestants and fans coming into West Tennessee for a week of competition bring in a lot more than a win for the Miss Tennessee Scholarship Pageant crown. “Our restaurant usually picks up business actually on the first night, Wednesday, then Thursday night and through the whole pageant,” Bob Baudo said, owner of Old Town Spaghetti Store. Baudo explained the week of the pageant brings big business. “When we host, or Jackson hosts, the Miss Tennessee Pageant, we hope that they eat local and stay with us here,” Baudo said. Restaurants, hotels and gas stations across the city are among businesses that see a spike in revenue. “It means a lot because the tax revenues to the city and the county, it’s very important that the more we have here, the more hotels are rented, the more tax that gives the 2 entities,” Jimmy Exum said, President of the Miss Tennessee Scholarship Organization. City economic leaders said keeping the pageant in Jackson is important. “They’ve had it in Jackson for over 60 years. It takes a lot of dedicated volunteer support to go after this and to keep it here. Their financial commitment, to raise the money to keep it here is significant,” said Lori Nunnery with the Jackson Chamber of Commerce. If you put a dollar sign on the pageant, organizers say it raises just under $2 million for the city. Baudo said he enjoys a different feel to his restaurant. “We like the fact that people come to the pageant and they look like they’re going to prom, and that’s a nice thing.” Pageant organizers said they hope this brings people back to Jackson to visit in the future as well.
