26 April 2024 , 09:57
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Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney’s successful ‘ Welcome to Wrexham ’ docu-series has been hailed as a stimulator for the city after Wrexham achieved promotion to League One.
Earlier this month, Reynolds and McElhenney ’s club secured back-to-back promotions following a dominant 6-0 win over Forest Green Rovers. The result was never in doubt at the Racecourse Ground as striker Paul Mullin netted twice in the crushing victory to continue the Red Dragons’ fairytale.
Wrexham' s latest promotion will be the second consecutively after they returned to the Football League after a 15-year absence in 2023. The success on the field is leading to progress in the community too, with the added interest in the city of Wrexham as a result of McElhenney and Reynolds’ investment paying dividends.
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Back in November 2020, McElhenney - famed for creating and starring in ‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’ - teamed with Deadpool star Reynolds to purchase Wrexham for £2.25million. The duo have become symbols of Welsh football around the world thanks to the exposure their platforms have brought to the club and area, largely through the popular Disney+ documentary titled ‘Welcome to Wrexham’.
The show has stimulated Wrexham’s economy. Councillor Nigel Williams of the Wrexham Wrexham Council for the Economy and Regeneration recently spoke with tourism operators around the county borough to coordinate an approach as tourism is expected to continue to grow having experienced to surge ‘thanks to the phenomenal success of the Welcome to Wrexham docu-series’.
Caffi Wylfa boss Chris Davies has seen the cafe receive unprecedented buzz from both tourists and locals, which will only increase with Wrexham in League One. He said: “We’ve probably just had our busiest year ever here at Caffi Wylfa, thanks to the local community and visitors to the nearby World Heritage Site, particularly walkers and cycling groups before they head off along the canal or the Ceiriog Valley.
'Welcome to Wrexham' shines a spotlight on the fans that make up the football-centric community of the Welsh city (Julian Hamilton/Daily Mirror)“Behind the scenes we’ve been modifying our business in recent years to ensure that we continue to provide a service to the local community, not just tourists. Pivoting has been a way of life since the pandemic and thankfully we’ve been successful so far with home deliveries, more efficient equipment in the kitchen and creating more outside space – all of which is leading to higher footfall and repeat custom which is really important for us.”
Cllr Williams added: “It’s been a vital part of my role to continually engage with our hospitality sector and understand the issues they are facing with the challenging economic position businesses face today. I will continue to lobby the Welsh Government about all the concerns they raise with me.
“We are sending out the message globally that Wrexham is the place for investment and interest in future schemes is buoyant. What’s important for hospitality businesses to know is that both myself, our business team and our local This is Wrexham partnership are here to support them and help navigate any issues to allow them to focus on what they are brilliant at – delivering a fantastic customer experience!”
Wrexham face League Two champions Stockport in the final game of the 2023-24 season on Saturday.