Businesses in Downtown Pittsburgh are experiencing a significant boost from the presence of furries in town for Anthrocon, which is expected to draw 19,000 people who will spend nearly $22 million in the city, according to Visit Pittsburgh.

At Emporio on Penn Avenue, part of Sienna Mercato, it was hard to get seated quickly Saturday night due to all the furries in town.

"It's probably our busiest day of the entire year," said floor manager Lena Balentine around 8 p.m. "Our wait is close to an hour, but we have slowly run out of food in our kitchen, so we have to close at nine tonight. This has never happened before. It didn't happen last year."

They are welcoming the furries with open arms, as indicated by a sign at the front door. Having a furry on staff as a server, Bailey, doesn't hurt.

"I have been loving it. I have never had so much fun at my job before," she said, sporting furry ears. "It's been lovely; they are such sweethearts, they tip well, they're patient, they're understanding."

"And when we have too many people, we just start shoving them down the street," Balentine said. 

Win Gould, who has attended 30 furry conventions since 2016, explained there are a few reasons why furries spend so much in Pittsburgh. 

For starters, they like to eat, drink, and have a good time. 

"We are a bunch of party animals," Gould said.

But, he explains, it goes beyond that. He says Pittsburgh has embraced the furries unlike any other city where he's attended a furry convention. That's from the people to the businesses. 

"There was a sign [at a business] that said, 'We loved having you last year,' and all that does is make us want to go and help out the people that care about us," Gould said.

Anthrocon's chairman, Dr. Samuel Conway, said he's proud of how they support and partner with local businesses.

"I hear a lot of people say, 'Pittsburgh likes your money.' Of course they do. This is America, but there is a genuine affection in this town for furries. We're not here for the money, we're here for the city," Conway said. "Pittsburgh's success is Anthrocon's success."

The convention spills out into the streets, allowing Pittsburghers to join in. 

"I love Pittsburgh," Gould said. "This is the second time I've been here. And honestly, like, I live in Houston, and if I could move somewhere else, I'd probably look at moving to Pittsburgh, and it's solely because of the way that they treated this con."

Gould explained that many furries are naturally introverted. Dressing up allows them to be who they truly are, Gould said, whether that be silly, goofy, or whatever else.

"What everybody wants in their life is you want to feel loved and you want to feel welcomed, and the city of Pittsburgh makes us feel like that," Gould said. "So, it's great. I love Anthrocon and I love Pittsburgh. Go Pirates!"

• Anthrocon
• Pittsburgh