Saint Vincent College’s Chuck Noll Field looks green and healthy, unlike many other grassy areas in a region still recovering from recent dry weather.

One reason for such a prime condition is that no Bearcats athletes have been on the field since the college campus in Unity closed a few months ago, during the covid-19 pandemic.

The field remained empty Friday minus the Pittsburgh Steelers players and staff and the throng of fans that have shown up at the same time in past years for the opening of the team’s summer training camp. Interrupting a long tradition, this year’s camp was moved to Heinz Field because of NFL health precautions related to the pandemic.

As much as the college and fans are feeling the team’s absence, many Latrobe-area businesses expect to see a negative impact on their bottom line without the extra customers the camp attracts.

General manager John Heiple estimated Sharky’s Cafe and The Pier, nearby along Route 30, could see as much as a 40% drop in business compared to previous years when the Steelers have been in town.

“We’ve had a longstanding relationship with the Steelers,” he said. “We will miss them this year.”

In addition to serving Steelers fans who stop in for a meal or refreshment, the restaurant has hosted events for the team and its staff as well as catering food for them at the college.

“We’ll have at least one or two very large orders for the entire team, the media and the coaches,” Heiple said. “We’re used to it being our busiest month when they’re here for training camp.

“It’s a month that we look forward to. Our servers and our bartenders look forward to the increased business. Not having them here definitely affects us.”

The loss of Steelers-related business comes on top of Pennsylvania’s pandemic-related restrictions on restaurants, including limiting the number of indoor diners to 25% of normal capacity.

With continued support from its customers and the benefit of some outdoor seating, Sharky’s is determined to “get through it and keep going,” Heiple said.

Steelers players and fans have added to the bottom line next door, at Domino’s Pizza. Manager Ken Williams said such orders during training camp can contribute to daily receipts of a few thousands dollars.

Unexpectedly, he said the loss of that business may be offset by an increase in local customer orders during the pandemic.

“We’ve actually picked up in business,” he said. “We’re one of the few places that have maintained regular hours,” while many other eateries have scaled back operations.

Cancellation of Steelers camp at Saint Vincent has left a void in the Latrobe community this summer, including at DeNunzio’s Italian Chophouse — at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport, within sight of the college campus.

Chophouse manager Anthony M. DeNunzio II said many fans would stop for a bite to eat either before or after watching the Steelers’ 3 p.m. practices. The restaurant also has played host to a camp kickoff dinner for the team.

“It’s always a pleasure to have the Steelers come to Westmoreland County,” DeNunzio said. “The fact that we don’t have them this year is a sad thing. We’re definitely impacted.”

On Friday, Jim Berger, associate director of marketing and communications at Saint Vincent, gazed over the empty Chuck Noll Field — an area that was packed with Steelers players and spectators in pre-pandemic July 2019.

He cited estimates of 8,000 or more fans attending some weekend Steelers practices on the campus.

“We certainly miss them,” Berger said of the Steelers. But, he added, “We have to respect what the NFL says. We completely understand the decision.”

Berger noted the extra foot traffic generated by the training camp will be missed at the campus bookstore.

“It’s a good relationship we’ve always had with (the Steelers), and it will continue,” he said. “We’re looking forward to them coming back next year.”

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