Takeout business brisk, but not overwhelming during pandemic Super Bowl

As Tom Brady tossed touchdown passes to Rob Gronkowski in Tampa, Fla., bartenders and chefs in Spokane feverishly slung drinks and pizzas to their hungry customers.

With COVID-19 restrictions limiting occupancy at restaurants and at-home parties admonished by health officials, it was unclear how Spokane residents would experience the Super Bowl. But by Sunday evening, area eateries reported brisk business.

“I was expecting that we would be really busy right before the Super Bowl and also during it, for Uber Eats or Treehouse Delivery, then kind of die out during (the game),” said Kirstin Pope, a manager at Veraci Pizza in Kendall Yards. “It definitely was busy for my worker that was here, she had me come in early.”

By halftime, the rush had waned. The patio was empty and a trickle of takeout calls came in, Pope said.

On the South Hill, Bennidito’s Pizza bartender Christi Simonds said the pizzeria was busier than on a typical Sunday but still slower than during past Super Bowls, “probably because of the teams.”

Despite a Super Bowl devoid of Seahawks, Bennidito’s had a steady stream of takeout and dine-in business. Under current guidelines, it’s open at 25% indoor capacity with a patio offering additional outdoor seating.

Brick West Brewing opened its taproom just weeks before the 2020 Super Bowl, but was prepared for a different atmosphere in 2021 amid the pandemic.

The brewery sells its beers, like the Brick by Brick India Pale Ale and Brickwest Pilsner, in cans from its taproom and in Spokane-area retailers.

Leading up to the game, taproom manager Jay Adams said “it’s pretty steady, we probably have seen an uptick in six-pack sales here in the taproom.”

Its spacious setup, with a permeable wall on the east side of the building, allows for 25% dine-in capacity. Outside, the brewery erected a tent in its courtyard to allow for additional seating.

Still, Adams didn’t know exactly what to expect on Sunday, noting some people might prefer to watch the game at a friend’s house with a larger group.

“Today is kind of a weird day for businesses, I think, especially with the pandemic, for the simple fact that we can’t have more than a handful of people in a group and things like that,” Adams said.

Based on its annual pre-Super Bowl survey of consumers, the National Retail Foundation expected spending related to the game to reach $13.9 billion, its lowest level since 2014. The vast majority of that spending is typically on food and beverages.

Although more than 180 million people are projected to tune in to the game, only 3% of people surveyed said they plan to watch it at a bar or restaurant, while 72% said they weren’t doing anything special for the occasion – the most in the survey’s decade-plus long history, according to the National Retail Foundation, which surveyed 7,882 adults in January.

That trend tracks with the calls for caution made by health experts in Washington and across the country in recent days. In Washington, restaurants and food service have been the largest source of COVID-19 outbreaks since the pandemic began, according to state Department of Health data.

Public health officials warned that the Super Bowl should not be used as an excuse to gather in private residences, citing potential for the spread of COVID-19 similar to what occurred following previous holidays and major events during the pandemic.

“We do not want to see another surge two weeks from Super Bowl Sunday,” State Secretary of Health Dr. Umair Shah said last Thursday.

American Pizza Community, a trade organization whose members include major chains like Pizza Hut and Papa John’s, saw opportunity in all of those people watching the game from home.

The organization predicted that 12.5 million pizzas would be ordered on Super Bowl Sunday, the same as in 2020.

The very pandemic keeping many glued to their own couches on Sunday has been a boon for major pizza retailers. Papa John’s and Domino’s both saw sales spike in 2020, according to Bloomberg, and each saw their shares rise by more than 30%.

But back in Spokane, David’s Pizza made the decision to stay closed on Super Bowl Sunday.

It was not alone. South Hill favorite Republic Pi also closed for the day, according to its Facebook Page.

According to Mark Starr, David’s Pizza’s owner, the proliferation of home entertainment systems has slowly replaced the allure of the sports bar and encouraged many people to host house parties instead. On top of that, the restaurant would be limited to 25% capacity under the current COVID-19 restrictions.

Instead, Starr said the restaurant was preparing food for about 20 customers to reheat at home on Sunday.