ATLANTA — After weeks of waiting, Atlanta is finally about to meet its newest celebrities.
Giant pandas Ping Ping and Fu Shuang are set to make their public debut at Zoo Atlanta, and excitement is spreading beyond the zoo gates to nearby businesses that hope the pandas will bring a surge of visitors to the area.
Channel 2 Action News will be live as Ping Ping and Fu Shuang make their debut, with coverage beginning at 4 a.m.
People who live and work near the zoo say two years without pandas has been long enough.
“I mean, they’re really awesome. I love them!” one neighbor said.
The pair arrived from China about a month ago and have been adjusting to their new home while completing their quarantine period.
For nearby businesses, their debut could mean a boost in customers.
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“When the excitement is just around what the zoo is doing, it really benefits the people around them,” said Nate Bridges with Bellwood Coffee.
Bridges said the shop expects more visitors as panda fans make their way to the neighborhood.
“It’s definitely a boost and great to be right next to the zoo, where people that are enjoying the animals can come over and get a place to rest and drink coffee,” Bridges said.
Ollie’s Market and Deli is also getting into the panda spirit.
Manager Coleman Teofilak said excitement began building well before Ping Ping and Fu Shuang arrived.
“Even just the news that they were coming back, before they even got here, brought in a huge draw,” Teofilak said. “So I can’t imagine what this will do.”
The business is already offering panda-themed pretzel snacks and black-and-white cookies, with more zoo-themed merchandise expected.
Zoo Atlanta is one of only three zoos in the United States where visitors can see giant pandas in person, adding to expectations that the animals could draw visitors from well beyond metro Atlanta.
“When you see the panda in real life and know how far they’ve come from to get here, that’s cool,” said Taylor Kyles, who lives near the zoo.
Michaela Worthem, who works nearby, believes the animals offer something visitors don’t get from every zoo exhibit.
“They’re not really feisty. They’re more chill,” Worthem said. “People want to see chill energy, and I think that makes people happy too.”
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