With hundreds of thousands of football fans expected in town, restaurants near the NFL Draft footprint in Pittsburgh say they’re anticipating large crowds — but worry that widespread road closures could make it difficult for employees to get to work.
“We are used to volume, whether it’s football or opening day for baseball, we get those types of days. We just don’t get three or four in a row that are like that,” said Mike Sukitch, owner of Mike’s Beer Bar and North Shore Tavern on Federal Street.
The draft footprint spans from the main draft stage at Acrisure Stadium to across the river in Point State Park. Officials are expecting crowds upward of 500,000 people over three days.
“Our biggest concern is employees getting to work,” Sukitch said. “That’s the first priority. Then, if one of my suppliers misses a delivery window, it throws everything off — I can’t store four days’ worth of that kind of volume in my refrigeration space.”
Although large crowds are expected, the North Shore business district was quiet Tuesday afternoon with barriers and road closed signs near the NFL Draft Experience entrance.
Elise Miranda, director of marketing for Wigle Whiskey Distillery, said their venue, Wigle Bar at North Shore, is taking advantage of its location along the draft’s designated pedestrian walkway by celebrating the launch of five new cocktails.
“We are all staffed up and ready to present our new ready-to-drink craft cocktails to all the new fans visiting Pittsburgh,” Miranda said.
In addition to the North Shore location’s bar and restaurant, Miranda said Wigle will also feature the cocktails at five satellite locations throughout the draft footprint.
CityWorks, located on Downtown’s Market Square, is preparing staff for a 25% increase in customers throughout the weekend lineup.
“We’re staffing up to big game-level operations … so we’re ready for the crowds and we’ll have the draft airing throughout the restaurant on HDTVs to create a high-energy, game day atmosphere,” said Angela Zoiss, chief marketing officer of CityWorks’ parent company, Bottleneck Management.
Just a few blocks down Liberty Avenue, Spencer Warren, owner of The Warren Bar and Burrow, said he was also “embracing the chaos” heading into the weekend.
Warren attended some of the meetings hosted by the NFL Draft and Visit Pittsburgh in recent months, but said it became clear after two sessions that they weren’t very helpful.
“They could’ve provided more information,” Warren said. “And I’m not trying to speak down on the NFL, it’s just that the communication was not there.”
Traffic concerns
Local and draft officials have implemented a network of road and bridge closures around Downtown, including adjusted rail service and bus routes, park-and-ride options into the city and designated pedestrian walkways.
The road closures, which span across the North Shore and Downtown, were implemented in phases starting in March, and the final phase goes into effect on Wednesday. Some of the closures will remain in effect for at least a month following the conclusion of the draft activities on Saturday.
Sukitch, who attended monthly organizational meetings, said this week will be the true test of how well the plan works for both organizers and residents.
He expects that Pittsburgh residents will “be pragmatic … and are going to avoid this area unless they really, really want to come for the draft.”
Warren concurred that his only concern was employees navigating the draft’s network of closures, combined with street parking and lots rates priced at double their normal rates.
“Not only that, but there’s the fear that this is all scaring Pittsburgh residents, people who live and eat here regularly, from coming down,” he said.
A manager at Giovanni’s Pizza and Pasta, located just across the Roberto Clemente Bridge on Sixth Street, said the business was struggling to coordinate or make plans without communication from the draft.
“We are overwhelmed,” Christine Zielmanski said. “Places Downtown are losing business because people are working from home … and to talk to the draft [officials], I wouldn’t even know how to start. It’s frustrating.”
Sukitch said, regardless of his traffic worries, he was confident that the draft would prove to be a success for the city.
“As much as this is a challenge and there are more questions than answers sometimes, most Pittsburghers know that we rise up to the task,” he said. “We will handle it … and we will have an opportunity to show what we are all about.”