Super Bowl XLIX is Feb 1, 2015.
This year’s game is being held at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, just outside Phoenix. It features the defending champion Seattle Seahawks against the New England Patriots.
The game is the culmination of a long season and billions around the world will be watching.
About 100,000 people will be visiting the Glendale and Phoenix areas to be part of the Super Bowl festivities. There are another 6,000 media members converging on the area, too.
The Super Bowl is more than just a big deal to the teams and fans though. A lot of local businesses stand to gain as well.
Super Bowl XLIX will bring in an estimated $500 million of economic impact for the state, says the Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee.
Small Business Trends contacted several franchise businesses operating in the Glendale and Phoenix areas to learn how this year’s Super Bowl would affect them and what preparations they are making.
OpenWorks Facility Services and Commercial Cleaning
Some businesses like OpenWorks have been busy even in the weeks leading up to the Super Bowl. This week, OpenWorks expects to be its busiest.
Based out of Phoenix, the company’s focus is on facility services and commercial cleaning. Local franchise owner Manuel Ramirez says he’s added staff in preparation for the busy time.
Ramirez says his franchise has a contract with the Phoenix Convention Center, where a lot of events leading up to the Super Bowl are being held.
“In order to pull it off, we worked in close coordination with the City Events manager, who was on staff during the previous Super Bowl held in Phoenix in 2008,” he explains in an email interview with Small Business Trends. “His intimate knowledge of staffing, security and general venue functions were very beneficial in analyzing the increase in facility utilization.”
“We developed a plan to address the increase in usage from Super Bowl fan attendance, as well as all the individual events that the Phoenix Convention Center was hosting, such as the NFL Experience and media center,” he adds.
Shula’s Steak Houses
Of course, food is almost as big of a focal point on Super Bowl Sunday as the game itself.
Shula’s Steak Houses expect to see at least 25 percent more business on the day of the game. That’s when Executive Chef Peter Farrand says his restaurants expect to be busiest.
The franchise is unique in that it’s linked directly to the legendary Don Shula, the head coach of the only undefeated Super Bowl champion in history, the 1972-73 Miami Dolphins.
Farrand says his restaurants’ link with coach Shula connects fans and the Super Bowl to the steakhouses.
And business at Shula’s Chandler, Arizona, location should get up to a 35 percent boost over normal sales on Super Bowl Sunday, he says.
And it’s not just fans enjoying gourmet steakhouse meals the day of the game either.
“Unlike most Super Bowls, we are expecting a sizable crowd at the Chandler location after the big game,” Farrand tells Small Business Trends. “Most of the time, the Super Bowl ends too late on the east coast and our restaurants see traffic die down after the game.”
That’s enough for the restaurant to call in two executive chefs, including Farrand, to handle the spike at the one location, alone.
Blimpie Sub Shops
Local Blimpie Sub Shops expect to see a considerable boost in business on Super Bowl Sunday, too.
Steve Evans, Blimpie Sub Shops vice president of marketing, says that 15 to 20 percent of the company’s catering business is centered around the Super Bowl.
“Typically our stores start to receive phone-in catering orders about five to seven days before the game and every day from there up to the actual Sunday of the game,” says Evans.
Blimpie puts a lot of effort into driving business around Super Bowl season. The company increases advertising and marketing efforts. These efforts are often aimed at driving the catering business.
After the game, the planning doesn’t stop. It’s inevitable that the NFL will once again choose Arizona to host another Super Bowl at some point in the future.
Ramirez expects to use his franchise’s success with this Super Bowl as a means to grow his business until that next big event.
“We’ll use the Super Bowl as a learning experience and a success story to build our business moving forward,” he says. “We help with many large events at the Convention Center each year, but this is by far the biggest.”
Image: Shula’s Steak Houses, LLLP
