ASHWAUBENON, WI (WTAQ) – Business went fairly well, all things considered, for local bars and restaurants during the Green Bay Packers week one match-up in Minnesota. But the question remains – what impact will a home game without fans at Lambeau Field have on the surrounding area?
With no fans in the stands, no grills in the parking lots, there are plenty of local bars and restaurants around Titletown ready to welcome Packers fans for the first home game of the season.
“It’s been nerve-wracking, but I think if anything we’re just more excited to just be able to have football. We weren’t sure if that was going to be a possibility with how sports are going in general,” said Stadium View Bar and Grill Owner Amanda Watson.
Being right down the block from the stadium, Watson says football fans have a major impact on their bottom line. Especially during home games.
“So really, we’re just taking whatever we can get. We’re glad the Packers will be playing, sad that there’s no fans in the stands,” Watson said. “Tons of people are coming around being like ‘You guys are gonna be packed if they can’t go to Lambeau, they’ll come here!’ I want that to be the situation, but nobody was locked into those hotel rooms, nobody was forced to have flights with everything going on with COVID.”
While she’s happy there will be some traffic, Watson has no predictions for how many people will actually show up at their doors on Sunday.
“We have no idea what to prepare for, for this game day. So we just decided to prepare as a normal home game…Kind of go from there and at least it’ll be a good takeaway to say: ‘Okay, well we way overstaffed or we put too many bars out,'” Watson told WTAQ News. “I definitely think it’ll be quite a bit scaled down from what we’re used to, and that’s okay. After being shut down for two months and not sure if we were going to have football, I think we’re just happy to have something.”
She hopes to get at least 30% of their typical attendance, but again, has no way of telling just how many people will decide to join the party. Stadium View plans to utilize their entire parking lot as a party zone, as per tradition, with food trucks set up in a distanced manner. Watson even added that if people want to bring lawn chairs to watch one of the screens either indoors or outdoors, there should be plenty of room to enjoy the energy while also maintaining a safe distance from others.
“People really respect each other, they honor what’s going on, but they still want to make sure that they’re out and having a good time with their family,” Watson said. “Having such an amazing event and having something around that brings in such energy, it’s just phenomenal and you won’t find anywhere else…The energy is the biggest thing that everyone gets excited about. Obviously, our staff is happy to make money. But even the stuff that doesn’t make an additional tip, all of them are just happy to be able to have football back.”
Watson feels that people, in general, are set to welcome whatever they can get in terms of entertainment – and getting outside.
“I feel like everyone’s ready just to get out of their houses and enjoy something that has a great culture, just legendary. So I think they’re at that point where they’re ready for that,I feel like everyone’s attitudes have been really great,” Watson said. “It’s great to be in the restaurant industry and be able to see happy, smiling faces in general. But then when you see it coming after people haven’t been able to experience a lot of that social entertainment much, it’s like a whole different level.”
It will be a unique experience without the roaring 80,000 person crowd in the stadium.
“You’ll definitely hear refs, you’re going to hear the things that are going on – which is really cool. I think that’s part of the excitement of being at Stadium View, is that you’re a stone’s throw away,” Watson said.
Those parties are usually filled with people who are visiting from out of town, however, as Watson acknowledged that most locals stay at home and have their own mini-parties for Packers home games. She hopes to gain a better idea on how things will look after Sunday’s game.
“It legitimately is all complete crapshoot. We have no idea what we’re going to get, we have no idea how many people are going to continue to come in for their vacation and enjoy what Green Bay has to offer,” Watson explained. “I would hope that everyone kind of stuck with their plans of vacationing in Green Bay. There’s a lot to see here – going to Lambeau, taking the tours, being able to do all of that this entire weekend.”
The Packers and Lions kick off at noon on Sunday.
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