Seahawks victory a bonanza for businesses

SEATTLE — When the Seahawks beat the Rams Sunday, they weren't the only winners. Businesses that cater to football fans in Pioneer Square were also celebrating. A bartender at Sluggers, Marcus Franklin said, "It was like the best Christmas gift we could ever have, hands down."

There will now be one and possibly two playoff games at the Clink in January. Games that will bring more than 68 thousand fans into a neighborhood that normally is pretty quiet during the winter.

Franklin said on a weekend night without a game, there may be twenty to thirty customers at Sluggers. Now he could look forward to seeing four hundred customers, each of them spending an average of twenty to forty dollars.

A hot dog vendor, Farshid Varamini said, "I won twice today, as a fan and as a business owner." When the Seahawks are done playing at home, he goes on vacation because there's no longer work to do until the Sounders and Mariners start their season. Now Varamini said he's got the chance to make thousands of dollars in January.

He said, "It’s huge for us." Even Pedicab drivers have a shot at collecting more cash during what's normally a cold lean month. Last year, Tyler Wardwell built up his credit card debit to get through the winter.

This year he said, "I can stay debt free hopefully and put a little in the bank and maybe take a vacation." Marcus Franklin of Sluggers said, "If we get two games here, that will make our whole year. That will start out 2014 with a bang."

KIRO