Local restaurants gear up for bustling NCAA Tournament this weekend

Two high-capacity events are sure to fill restaurants surrounding the Spokane Arena and ONE Stadium, and those nearby eateries are ready to fill crowds’ bellies.

The first and second rounds of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championships take place Friday and Saturday at the Spokane Arena, and a home game of the new Spokane Velocity kicks off Saturday at ONE Stadium.

“We’re really hitting some strides right now with the Arena. They’re doing a great job booking it, and we get a lot of reservations, but we still leave room for walk-ins,” said chef Ian Wingate, of the Outsider, a wood fired oven and rotisserie restaurant. “The hockey team does great for us, but any event we have really brings us foot traffic and really helps us out over here. Hats off to everyone who’s planning these events, because they are benefiting restaurants and Spokane’s overall economy.”

Wingate says that pizza and cocktails are bestsellers during heavily attended event nights. The Outsider is open Wednesday-Sunday and opens at 11:30 a.m. each day. Hours will adjust over the weekend because of the sports events.

“I don’t know if the tournament will bring a big margin,” the owner of Queen of Sheba, Almaz Ainuu, said, “but concerts definitely do. I have to keep up with events. I make sure we have a full staff, and we prepare to make extra food. As an owner, we like to be busy; we enjoy having customers.”

If a group has five or more people, reservations are preferred at Queen of Sheba. Groups typically order sampler platters, which Ainuu said are “extremely popular.”

Including outdoor seating, Queen of Sheba seats 45-50 guests. It is open from 11:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

The Viking has a first come, first serve policy. There is an indoor capacity of 115. There are a variety of popular event foods, such as French dips, Philly cheese steaks, steak bites and cheeseburgers.

“It’s going to be a busy one for us, but we’re ready for it,” Viking’s general manager Steven Barclay said. “We love the extra business. Yes, it can be a little overwhelming, but we have an amazing staff that has been battle-tested and is now great at critical thinking.”

Barclay agreed that concerts, but particularly Chiefs hockey games bring in the most consistent crowds.

“We absolutely love our location and the special events,” Barclay said. “We thrive during these times. Not much of a bigger ‘industry high’ than to work with all of our peers, have a great night working together when it’s crazy and then reflect afterward while we clean up.”

A consistent stream of events at ONE Stadium and the Spokane Arena are sure to bring massive crowds into local restaurants this weekend and beyond.