The Moore family has operated its clock and watch repair business,
Moore Time, in Old Town Spring for 16 years, but Ben Moore said he has not seen anything quite like the Pokemon Go phenomenon before.
Moore said many shop-owners were confused at first when they saw an increased number of people gazing at their cell phones on store porches during what are typically the slowest business weeks of the year.
“Old Town Spring has a lot of historical and art spots, a lot of public art displays and restaurants which are getting tagged as Pokemon stops,” Moore said.
Pokemon Go players follow GPS prompts to find and “catch” digital Pokemon characters, with the goal of the game being to catch as many as possible. A PokeStop is a location where Pokemon characters can be found in the game.
“Most of the shop owners don’t mind the additional traffic in the summer,” Moore said. “[Old Town Spring] survives on foot traffic, and summer is so hot that few people walk around.”
In recent weeks, pedestrian traffic has begun early in the morning and continued late into the night, he said.
“I think it’s definitely a good thing for Old Town Spring,” Moore said. “It has dramatically increased our foot traffic and exposure and helped businesses that rely on that.”
The monthly
Wunderlich Farm farmers market is also getting in on the Pokemon action to draw a larger crowd for its event.
The July 30 farm market at 18218 Theiss Mail Route Road welcomes Pokemon hunting from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Klein Historian Steve Baird said.
“When [the game] first started we left the property open so people can have a safe place to play,” Baird said.
Pokemon Go players are encouraged to use “lures” in the game to flood the 20-acre location with playing opportunities on the day of the market.
The monthly farmers market features fresh, locally grown produce, natural dog treats, soaps, ice pops, organic coffee and tea.
Wunderlich Farms is situated on 20 acres of property next to Doerre Intermediate School. The site also includes the Klein, TX Museum and offers opportunities for children to interact with farm animals like goats, sheep and chickens.