FORT COLLINS, Colorado – A big game this weekend means a big opportunity for Fort Collins businesses to capitalize on the expected rush of customers.
The Rocky Mountain Showdown is taking place at Colorado State University for the first time since 1996, and local sports bars have been busy preparing.
“We’ve been talking about this since June,” said Nate Haas, owner of Krazy Karl’s Pizza. “We’ve had meetings and made sure we’re prepared. I think we have the right people in the right place and we’ll be ready.”
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The mood on the CSU campus is different this year. The fans are excited about the duel and believe that the Rams can cause a surprise.
“There’s a lot of excitement right now and everyone wants us to beat them,” said Benjamin Bomes, owner of Mo Jeaux’s Bar & Grill. “It’s the first time we’ve had something like this here in a long time. And I think everyone is just excited that there’s a Rocky Mountain Showdown here.”
The extra excitement means extra preparation for these local businesses. More customers means more food and more staff.
“It took a whole week just to plan staff and food, and then all the X-factors,” Bomes said. “We normally use this amount, but we have to plan for double that amount. And there’s just a lot of math and formulas to get it right.”
Bomes estimates they’ll sell 2,500 chicken wings this weekend, a 66% increase over the 1,500 they sell on a typical weekend. Haas of Krazy Karl’s Pizza knows that the better the Rams do, the better the business will be.
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“When the alumni leave the stadium when CSU wins, they want to go out and keep celebrating,” said Haas. “When you lose, you get a little depressed, a hangover, and everyone just wants to go home. We see that at every game during the season. I expect it to be even stronger on Saturday.”
These business owners are not immune to the contagious optimism sweeping Fort Collins. They believe CSU has a pretty good chance.
“After it was close last year and we played at home this year, I think people are a little excited and believe we have a chance,” Bomes said.
“You have to keep your stars under control, and if you don’t, it’s going to be a long night,” Haas said. “We’ll see. But CSU has its own stars, so we’ll see who stands out.”
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