Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Businesses tackling increased sales
The home team’s participation in the playoffs helps bars and restaurants as well as sporting goods stores
It’s been a few years since area businesses have had the chance to cash in on the hometown football team’s trip to the playoffs.
But on Saturday, bars with big screen TVs expect to lure bigger crowds thanks to the Philadelphia Eagles showdown with the Atlanta Falcons.
And while some Eagles are miffed to be an underdog in the game after going 13-3 in the regular season, being the top seed, and playing on their home field, businesses aren’t complaining.
“Our sales go up anywhere from 20-to-25 percent,” said Jim Fris, COO at PJW Restaurant Group, which runs P.J. Whelihan’s Pubs in locations throughout the area, including Downingtown, Malvern, Oaks, Blue Bell and West Chester, with plans to open soon in Newtown Square. “We’re expecting big crowds on Saturday, which will have an impact on our normal dinner business, but sales overall should be way up.”
Wings, nachos, burgers and beer, of course, are favorites among football viewers at P.J.’s, and an Eagles win is good for the bottom line.
“Absolutely, when the team wins, people stick around to have a couple more,” Fris said. “If they lose, the place clears out fast.”
The only complaint Fris has about the game is its time: 4:35 p.m. on Saturday.
“We would rather have the prime time, 8:15 p.m. game on Saturday, it interferes less with our dinner service, but Saturday is still better than Sunday since most people don’t have to work the next day,” Fris said.
At Iron Hill, which has locations in West Chester, Phoenixville and throughout the region, the cash registers ring more often when the home team is winning.
“Absolutely, when the Birds are winning, everyone is glued to their seats and watching each and every play,” enjoying Iron Hill’s homemade brews, noted Matt Gundrum, senior head
brewer at Iron Hill West Chester.
Gundrum also expects the crowds to be good on Saturday.
“It doesn’t matter which day of the week the game is as long as they’re winning,” he noted. “However, I do think Saturday can be more of a beer drinking day since most people don’t have to work the following day.”
General Manager Amanda Lober said Iron Hill’s West Chester location will probably see an increase of 20-to-25 percent as well. Quite a difference from when it used to be slow during Eagles’ games.
“After our renovations this past May, with a much larger cocktail area and many more TVs, this was a different story,” Lober said. “During West Chester’s Restaurant Festival, during one of the first games of the regular season in mid-September, people noticed that ... Ever since then, we have been extremely busy during Sunday games.”
The team’s success also is good for area apparel sellers.
Dick’s Sporting Goods doesn’t give out specific sales figures but does track the sale of football jerseys overall, and the number one seller this year chain-wide is an Eagle: Carson Wentz. Ouch. It was Wentz’s knee injury in Week 14 of the regular season that dampened spirits and lowered expectations for the men in Midnight Green. Since his injury, the Nick Foles-led Eagles offense has been underwhelming at best.
Wentz’s jersey was Dick’s top selling jersey for the year, although it was number two in sales last week, behind New England Patriots’ quarterback Tom Brady. And, for the record, the sale of Falcons’ quarterback Matt Ryan, a native of Exton, ranked number 25 this season and number 21 for last week, reported Matt Jordan, a spokesman for Dick’s.
Phil Baumgardner, marketing director and buyer for Schuylkill Valley Sports, said the Eagles’ success is welcomed at the regional sporting goods chain.
“We are definitely excited about the game on Saturday and have been getting ready company-wide,” he said Thursday. “We have a very solid amount of Eagles fan gear and novelty items ... Sales have been up slightly, definitely starting to see some excitement building.
“Fans seem to be a little cautious overall until they see how they look this week,” Baumgardner said. “If they win this week, I think you’ll definitely start to see the enthusiasm really ramp up. There are some similarities to the 2004 team going into the playoff run.”
The playoffs, in fact, have been a frustrating experience for the Eagles and their fans in more recent years.
After winning 10 playoff games in his first 16 attempts with the Eagles, Andy Reid never won another and was gone after the 2012 season.
His replacement, Chip Kelly, led the team to the NFC East title the next season before falling at home to New Orleans.
Now, Eagles fans hope second-year coach Doug Pederson’s can break the four-game postseason losing streak. And bars, restaurants and sporting goods stores couldn’t agree more.