The Seattle Seahawks will face the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday, with local businesses expecting a big boost in sales due to the NFL playoffs.
As fan enthusiasm for the Seahawks rises, local establishments like the Queen Anne Beerhall are preparing for large crowds.
But not just for the football game, but also for a concurrent Gonzaga basketball game.
Tourism is normally light during January in the Seattle area.
Historical data suggests that each Seahawks playoff game in January can count for millions of dollars to the local economy.
Justin “Juice” Andrews is the head of The Hall Group, a restaurant group running several establishments in and around Seattle.
He estimates that sales at his location could increase by hundreds of thousands of dollars during the playoffs.
“It was incredible, probably somewhere between a 200-300% increase in our sales,” Andrews said, referencing previous playoff success from the Seattle Mariners from last season.
After crunching the numbers, he estimated that if the Mariners had made the playoffs, his businesses might have earned between $500,000 and $1,000,000.
Andrews believes that a successful Seahawks playoff run could lead to similar spending patterns, given the high demand and high prices for game tickets.
As of Friday, Seahawks’ playoff tickets range from $300 to thousands of dollars.
If the playoff run goes for weeks, he imagines that business could be comparable.
Now, Andrews does have an interest in rooting for Hawks playoff wins beyond fandom.
He says his restaurants are preparing for an influx of fans.
“We’re probably going to be seeing between 2-3k fans coming through our location right outside Lumen Field,” he noted, emphasizing the need to stock up on food and beverage supplies. “We’re having to order more chicken wings than we normally do; we are having to make sure we have enough beer on hand; we’re expecting a massive turnout.”
The economic impact of the Seahawks’ games is supported by broader trends as well.
The Washington Research Council publicized the analysis from more than ten years ago.
The report said hotel occupancy rates can jump by 50-60% during playoff games.
This increase in occupancy not only benefits hotels but also local businesses.
Visitors contribute millions to the economy with each game.
The research council may have published the findings during the time of the Seahawks’ ‘Legion of Boom,’ but it still tracks years later during this new playoff push.
Andrews also said that when the Seahawks did not play after earning a first-round playoff bye, people filled up places like Queen Anne Beerhall purely out of excitement for the NFL playoffs.
As tomorrow’s game approaches, local businesses are optimistically preparing for what they hope will be a profitable weekend that could further support the local economy.
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