Thanks to the Spam Museum’s recent move to 101 Third Ave. NE, many businesses and restaurants downtown are serving up Spam and seeing new customers.

Since the opening of the new museum, many businesses on Main Street have experienced a boost in customers and some are even increasing their hours to reach more visitors.

According to Austin’s Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Nancy Schnable, 67 tour and travel groups have visited the museum since its opening in the heart of Austin and there are still 142 trips scheduled as of last week. While Schnable doesn’t have exact numbers, she believes the 2016 group and travel numbers are substantially higher than in 2014, when the museum was last open at its old location on North Main Street near Hormel Food’s Corp.’s south corporate office.

“I think it’s exciting to see so many visitors making Austin a destination, especially in our downtown area, Schnable said.

Austin Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Sandy Forstner believes the increased number in visitors has a large impact on businesses downtown.

“It’s great for not only downtown, but for the entire town,” he said. “More people come to Austin and they stop at our convenience stores and other parts of the community.”

Forstner estimates 3,000 visitors stop by the Spam Museum every week, and even more are expected to be downtown for Hormel’s 125th anniversary celebration this Friday.

“It’s had a very positive impact on downtown,” Forstner said. “The restaurants in particular have seen quite a spike in business.”

This increase in customers has encouraged businesses like Piggy Blues, B&J Bar and Grill, and Steve’s Pizza to add Spam to their menus, with their own take on the canned meat.

“[Our Spam menu] has been real popular with the customers,” Piggy Blues owner Josh Diaz.

The three-piggies sandwich in particular has been a big hit. The sandwich features grilled Spam with American cheese, topped with shredded pork, barbecue sauce, applewood-smoked bacon and veggies, served on a bun. Piggy Blue’s also serves Spam fries, which are french fry sized strips of Spam, beer-battered and deep fried.

From Diaz’s experience, he has noticed that many visitors are coming straight to Piggy Blue’s from the Spam Museum. He thinks the new customer traffic downtown is beneficial for everyone.

“[The Spam Museum] is bringing a number of people downtown,” Diaz said. “People are hanging out downtown and shopping.”

Steve’s Pizza has felt a similar wave of new customers and have added a sign to their window to welcome visitors. On top of that, Spam Burgers and Spam and pineapple pizza have been added to the menu to cater to visitors. Although Steve Davis, owner of Steve’s Pizza, was unsure of Spam as a pizza topping at first, he was pleasantly surprised with the outcome.

“After you make [Spam and pineapple pizza] and pull it out of the oven, the aroma is delicious,” he said.

The restaurant has kept its steady stream of regular customers, but it has also seen an increase of visitors and tourists stop by the restaurant as well. Many of them come from across the country and world after stopping by the museum.

“We’ve had people from Russia, Germany and Australia,” Davis said. “Spam is something everyone seems to know.”

B&J Bar and Grill has also seen quite a crowd of visitors with Spam gift shop bags in tow throughout the day, instead of just during their rush hours. According to manager Shelley LeTendre, a Spam menu insert has been so popular that they’ve had to run over to the Spam Museum to pick up more of the canned ham. Their Spam quesadilla, made with chorizo Spam, has been a big hit along with Spam sliders.

“We’ve sold out of a lot of Spam,” LeTendre said.

Although Tendermaid’s menu will stay consistent, the restaurant has benefited from the increased number of customers visiting downtown Austin; many coming directly from the museum, according to co-owner Sara White

“We see Spam Museum visitors every day,” she said. “It’s so positive for our business.”

Most restaurants are keeping their hours and days of operation the same, but many shops have decided to give an extra day a try.

Hallmark is one of several businesses now open on Sundays from noon to 4 p.m. due to the extra flow of customers from the museum.

“We’ve definitely seen an increase in traffic,” said Hallmark manager Jeanne Anderson. “The customer count has definitely gone up.”

Sweet Reads, located next door, is open on Sundays now as well from noon to 4 p.m.

Twice is Nice has decided to keep its regulars hours, but are appreciative of the new location of the Spam Museum not only because of the increased number of customers, but a new spirit they’ve felt downtown as well.

“There’s a sense of community and pride,” said Twice is Nice owner Sandra Bell. “It’s nice to see that in Austin, it’s just awesome.”

Looking forward to Friday, downtown businesses will have even more visitors than usual for Hormel’s 125th anniversary celebration. According to Forstner, 10,000 to 15,000 visitors are expected.