Pizzerias, bars in valley expect brisk business for Super Bowl

Inside Ed Field's Verrazano Pizza, his three-man crew works the place like a well-oiled machine.

With a collection of New York Yankees photos on the wall and smells of marinara and buffalo sauce wafting through the air, the pizza joint at 240 S. Rainbow Blvd. is ready for the onslaught.

As the National Football League championship game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Baltimore Ravens comes on the tube, some local businesses are preparing for a surplus of customers. Last year, 47.8 percent of U.S. households watched the Super Bowl in the top 56 U.S. television markets, making it the third-most-watched game ever.

And as these people are watching the game, they're eating.

"It's a busy Sunday," Field said.

After 29 years in business, he knows the ebb and flow of the big-game crowd. Field said he's expecting a rush at the beginning of the Super Bowl, so he stocked up on chicken wings, which are his biggest sellers along with pizza.

"Pizza, wings, fingers, all the appetizers is what they go for," Field said.

The National Chicken Council's 2013 Wing Report found that more than 1.23 billion wings will be consumed during the Super Bowl, which is the biggest day of the year for the snack food. This year, though, 1 percent less wings will be eaten than in 2012, because there were fewer chickens produced in 2012 due to higher feed prices because of the summer drought.

Expect sales of ranch and blue cheese to rise a bit during Super Bowl weekend too: Six in 10 Americans choose ranch dressing, while three in 10 prefer blue cheese for their chicken wings.

On Thursday , Nielsen released its national 2013 pre-Super Bowl research, and found, among other things, that 71 percent of consumers plan to spend the same amount for supplies this year as they did in 2012. Healthier food choices outranked many traditional options, with 36 percent of respondents saying they'd have vegetables, compared with the 26 percent who said they'd eat pizza. Salty snacks, though, reigned supreme with 46 percent saying they'd eat some form during the big game. Buffalo wings were ranked ninth, with 24 percent of people saying they'd consume them.

For beverages, 71 percent of consumers plan to serve carbonated drinks, while 42 percent plan to serve beer and 33 percent plan to serve wine.

PLANNING AHEAD

Mike Carver is employing skills acquired in his former career in the U.S. Air Force at his Papa Murphy's franchise. Carver started planning his Super Bowl strategy a month ago, and has been running it through his head ever since. His entire staff of eight will be working throughout the day, and will be in early starting Saturday to prepare.

"The Super Bowl is the biggest pizza day of the year," said Carver, who owns the Papa Murphy's at Losee Road and Centennial Parkway.

He said his food order this week was probably 30 percent higher than a typical weekend. And he's expecting sales to double this weekend over what he would bring in on a typical Saturday and Sunday.

Aside from pizza, local bars also get a big boost from the Super Bowl. And if you've ever been in a locals' bar during the big game, you know the craziness that can ensue. Local haunts invite their most valuable gamblers, give away free food, offer drink specials and host product giveaways throughout the game. All that activity in the bar at one time plus walk-up clientele equals mayhem, but in a good way.

At his O'Aces locations, Jason Woywod orders twice the alcohol to compensate for the influx of customers on Super Bowl Sunday.

"It's in our top three busiest days," Woywod said.

And at his parties, patrons will win televisions, jerseys, hats and cash just for stopping by.

"We just do that to attract more customers," Woywod said. "It's a very competitive day in the bar business."

He's expecting bar sales from 2 to 8 p.m. on Sunday to increase four times what they typically are, because as he put it, "People like going to big Super Bowl parties. Everyone's in a good mood and excited to watch."

MISSING THE BONANZA

Although a large portion of Las Vegas businesses are reaping the benefits of the Super Bowl, others won't be raking in any sales at all, such as local restaurant Grape Street Café.

"We close every Super Bowl. There would be nobody there," said executive chef and owner John McKibben.

Because the restaurant has been open for 15 years, McKibben said he could probably promote a Super Bowl party and pack the house, but he'd rather give his employees the day off. He explained that restaurants like his aren't typically busy on big-game day.

And it's not only Sunday that the restaurant misses out on revenue - it's the day after, too.

"The day after is always slow, it's just the way it is. The Super Bowl is like a national holiday," McKibben said. "People are worn out."

Javier Barajas, owner of the Lindo Michoacan restaurant at 2655 E. Desert Inn Road echoed Mckibben's sentiments.

"Every year, we're dead," he said. "It's lonely."

But Barajas is trying to change his luck. For the first time this year, he's offering 50 percent off entire checks during the Super Bowl. The game will be on in all three dining rooms for patrons who want to watch.

"It's always way too slow and it hurts us a lot," Barajas said.

Contact reporter Laura Carroll at
lcarroll@reviewjournal.com or
702-380-4588. Follow @lscvegas on Twitter.