When graduates get their diplomas on Saturday, many of them will have people in the audience cheering.

Parents, grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles and others will all be there to support the years of hard work put in to get a degree.

When graduation is over, they will all need a place to eat, stay and shop, and Bowling Green businesses will be the ones feeling the effects.

Heather Williams, general manager of 440 Main, said that they are typically closed on Saturdays for lunch, but they will be open after graduation.

“We get a lot of out of town guests that day,” she said.

Williams said that they get quite a bit of business from graduation.

Ronnie Rhodes, assistant manager at Buffalo Wild Wings, said that he thinks they get an increase in business because their restaurant is a big attraction all over the United States.

The restaurant is offering seven party platters aimed at big groups and parties that will be at graduation celebrations.

They will also offer a 10 percent discount with a student ID.

Jeremy Laswell, service manager at Smokey Bones Sports Bar, said that they started preparing for graduation weekend earlier this week.

“Graduation has a dramatic effect on our business,” he said.

Laswell said that Smokey Bones will have its normal happy hour, but is not planning on having any specials on food as of right now.

Hotels also see an increase in business. Trina Saltsman, a front desk clerk at the Drury Inn, said that the hotel has a full house every year.

“It’s crazy,” she said.

Saltsman said that their rates go up a little for the weekend.

Bob Irizarry, a manager at Target, said that they don’t see much business during graduation weekend.

“We see more business when people are coming to school,” he said.

Reach Emily Salmon at [email protected].