After a couple of years of being forced to close and reopen with restrictions, the hospitality industry hopes to score a winning weekend as the Super Bowl is sure to attract football fans to food and drink.
The National Football League’s 56th annual big game will happen Sunday, Feb. 13.
And while it will be broadcast live from Inglewood, Calif., pitting the Los Angeles Rams against the Cincinnati Bengals, it's a good bet that nearly every bar in North America and other parts of the world will be showing it on their TVs.
According to a 2018 study by Nielsen Research, football fans spend around $1.3 billion on beer and cider — and a whopping $80 million on chicken wings — leading up and during the big game.
This year, with some restrictions still in place in Ontario, most restaurants are just looking forward to a good day and a boost to the business.
Kanishk Sangar, a supervisor at St. Louis Bar and Grill on Duckworth Street, is hoping for a good crowd this Sunday.
“We’re trying to get as many people as possible that we are allowed and have everyone enjoy the game,” he told BarrieToday.
For this year's Super Bowl, restaurants will only be permitted 50 per cent capacity — which is about 60 people at Sangar's restaurant, as per the provincial health restrictions — but he admits he wished there could be more.
“It is what it is, but it would be really nice if we could have a packed house,” Sangar said. “That's what it would normally have been for a Super Bowl. I’m sure one day soon we'll be back there.”
Malones Pint House owner Sarah Lynne Maloney has endured all the shutdowns and restrictions for two years and is looking forward to Sunday.
“We’re doing a big pig roast for the halftime buffet and we’ll be starting to cook that at about 5 a.m.," she said. "It's supposed to feel like minus-30 out that day, so we’ll have to get out there nice and early. It makes for a long day, but it's all in good fun.”
Due to the current health restrictions, Malones can seat only 60 people.
Maloney said that reservations have already been made by some who want to make sure they have a spot for the game.
“We didn’t want people to have to scramble at the last minute to be able to watch it,” she said.
Maloney said she's a Buffalo Bills fan and despite her team — yet again — being unable to make it to even the conference championships, she will be enjoying the day and even likely to be a little emotional.
“It's been a really hard go and has been a struggle emotionally, but a day like that this is going to hit you right in the feels,” Maloney told BarrieToday. “Getting to welcome everyone back for a fun event like this with the safe-distance games we will have in-house, it's going to be what we all needed."
Maloney says she also has a lot of pre-orders going out that day and recommends people start calling in orders as soon as possible.
“We are optimistic about the day and know that it will be a ton of fun," she said.
Super Bowl kick-off is expected around 6:30 p.m.
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