SWFL businesses excited for monetary boost from Super Bowl

Reporter: Breana Ross Writer: Jack Lowenstein
Published: Updated:
Credit: WINK News.

Many restaurants have struggled during the pandemic, but with the Super Bowl days away, they are seeing more business. We looked at what this economic boost means for three local restaurants.

Super bowl Sunday is days away Thursday, and restaurants in Southwest Florida are excited.

Buckett’s Wings & More in south Fort Myers was already warming up and scoring orders for their biggest day of the year.

“It started on Monday of this week,” owner Zachary Walker said. “We started with ordering extra product, allowing the guys to kind of prepare blue cheese dressings, cut celery, things like that … Then, we start preparing the wings throughout the week.”

Buckett’s is preparing for hundreds of to-go orders and a full house of people for its Super Bowl party, topped off with team-themed meals and a buffet.

The big business is much needed after some hard financial hits because of the pandemic.

“It definitely was a very hard last year getting our season cut off in March when it’s supposed to be our busiest time of year,” Walker said. “We anticipate it being our best Super Bowl to date.”

It’s a much-anticipated day for Overtime Pizzeria & Sports Pub in Cape Coral too. The sports bar is hosting the local Kansas City Chiefs fan club, and the restaurant is expecting more football fans and pizza lovers to order out or join the festivities.

“It’s nice having something like the Super Bowl, something to kind of bring us back to a world of normal and also help business,” owner Kristina Amato said.

Although the doors to Chelle’s Special Touch catering will not be open for a Super Bowl party, chef Michelle Pope’s business will still see the Super Bowl profits. She’s taking Super Bowl orders nonstop.

“I’m probably up to about 700 wings right now,” Pope said.

That’s 700 wings and counting. Pope says the big-time game is bringing her big-time help while business is slower because of the pandemic.

“It’s making ends meet until other things come through,” Pope said.

It’s a win for the teams in the game and the businesses who serve those who watch. The two businesses we spoke to who are having Super Bowl parties say they are taking some COVID-19 precautions with sanitizing the seating areas and menus, spacing people out the best they can and screening their staff.

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