SAN DIEGO — Comic-Con is returning this week at full scale for the first time in three years, and San Diego is getting ready for the pop-culture invasion.
This sold-out event also means an onslaught of tourists, ready and willing to help boost the local economy.
At the Hilton Bayfront, there are just a handful of rooms still available to book during Comic-Con.
This is the same hotel where hundreds of employees were threatening to walk off the job before the Con starts if a new labor contract isn't hammered out.
However, the head of the 'Unite Here Local 30' labor union told CBS 8 that they've made "good progress" so far and plan to negotiate through early Wednesday morning.
No matter the outcome, though, full-fledged Comic-Con is back in full force this week for the first time since 2019, and local businesses are getting ready for the crowds, and the cash.
"It is going to be a little crazy," predicted Finn Schulenburg, who works at Cali Cream Homemade Ice Cream, which has a new location on Market Street in the Gaslamp, as well as its original location in Encinitas.
Cali Cream is ready for the Comic-Con craziness, and the long lines that come with it.
"Down the street maybe...and around the building," said Schulenburg.
They've even created their own homemade superhero flavors to celebrate, including the 'Incredible Hulk' and 'Superman,' consisting of strawberry, vanilla and blue moon ice cream all mixed together.
It's a cool way to sweeten the bottom line, as San Diego prepares for tens of thousands of Comic-Con fans, many of whom have already arrived.
Jenna Slaviero and James McCarthy, who arrived on Tuesday from Australia, are among them.
"We have money set aside, and we do have extra bags," they told CBS 8.
Local businesses are ready to accept that money.
"I'm excited to see it, experience it," said Vinnie Cagno, a busser at Saltwater in the Gaslamp, which is anticipating packed tables through the weekend.
"Even lately without Comic-Con it has been unbelievable," said Cagno. "So, San Diego is going to get a big hit in business all around due to Comic-Con,"
Of course, those coming in from out of town need a place to stay.
"We're pretty booked: all of our dorms are sold out for the next four days," said the manager of a local hostel in the Gaslamp, located just blocks away from the Convention Center.
It is welcoming back Comic-Con fans it has hosted for years now.
"I mean, it is a little pricey because of Comic-Con, but it's still cheaper than a hotel," she told CBS 8.
For folks who haven't booked a place yet, they'll be lucky to find something for under $400 a night, with many hotels reaching capacity.
"We are kind of busting at the seams: but it's good, it's a good thing," she added.
In fact, Comic-Con just released their dates for next year, and the manager at that same hostel said that they are already booking up for July of 2023.
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