GLENDALE, AZ — Businesses in Glendale are bracing for a few months of potentially record spending, especially around State Farm Stadium.
Monday morning, at the Westgate restaurant, Opa Life, Lionel Reza was peacefully having fun restocking his drinks.
“Christmas Day was crazy. The line was out the door,” Reza said. “Yesterday, alcohol sales exploded.”
Beer was also flowing inside State Farm Stadium, where Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers narrowly beat the Arizona Cardinals.
But “the NFL GOAT” isn’t even Glendale’s biggest draw this week.
The New Year’s College Football Playoffs will bring even more fans to the Westgate Entertainment District.
“Oh, that’s huge. It’s generating a lot of business. Things are already packed,” said Rodney and Michelle Johnson, who live in Avondale. “We were trying to get dinner reservations to take friends, [and we] I can’t get a reservation anywhere at the moment.”
The Johnsons know that the west side of the valley will only get more flooded in the weeks to come.
But the inconvenience is a big sign for the economy.
“The Super Bowl is the most important,” Reza said.
ASU’s WP Carey School of Business estimated that the Valley’s last Super Bowl, in 2015, had an impact of $720 million over the greater Phoenix area.
Reza said his colleagues were excited to hopefully have a piece of the pie.
“More overtime. More hours,” Reza said. “The advice is going to be really, really good.”
The owners are also looking to cash in on the Super Bowl.
“I could Airbnb my house,” said Jacob Coker.
“I’m trying to convince her because we’re seven minutes from the stadium,” Rodney Johnson said.
“It’s tempting,” said Michelle Johnson, who also reiterated to her husband that she doesn’t want to move their belongings and rent their house.
Arizonans will have varying levels of desire when it comes to experiencing the Super Bowl up close.
“It’s so crazy, I don’t want to deal with it,” Tara Nelson said.
“I’m definitely going to be in on it,” said Coker, who was hoping to capitalize on captive football fans with his food truck business.
One thing is certain: if you plan to go gambling, the biggest economic impact will be felt in your bank account.
“For the three of us, our son and ourselves, it would be around $25,000,” said the Johnsons, who acknowledged the to-do list item would be more palatable at a lower price.
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