WAUSAU (WAOW) -
Even though the Packers aren't in the Super Bowl, businesses in our area are still preparing for the big game.
On Sunday, an estimated 1.23 billion wings will be consumed, some of them at Buffalo Wild Wings in Wausau.
"It's busy. Our takeout is very busy, we're staffed for it, I have lots of servers and cashiers," Buffalo Wild Winds Hospitality Manager Lyndsey Melcher said.
The store even has reserved seating for the big game.
"This place is booming, everybody is having fun, everybody is watching the commercials as well as the game," Melcher told Newsline 9.
Football fans say Sunday is what it all comes down to.
"We've waited all year for it," Daniel Skarlupka of Wausau said.
For Skarlupka and his friends, Buffalo Wild Wings is where they'll be locked in for the game.
"It's always a good atmosphere to celebrate amongst fans," Skarlupka said.
But not everyone will be going out for the big game. An estimated nine out of ten people watch at home.
"We definitely see an increase in sales, we get busier," Little Caesar's General Manager Nathan Grulkoski said. He says the Super Bowl Sunday is a big day for business.
Fans won't only be eating wings. Millions of pizzas are expected to be eaten as well.
"The five dollar pizzas will be flying off the shelves," Grulkoski said.
That rush is expected at grocery stores too.
"We'll be busy all weekend really, people getting ready for their parties," County Market Store Director Mary Gaiche said.
With cakes and tasty treats of all kinds, managers expect to see double their normal business.
"Any weekend that's it's going to be a busier weekend, holidays, Super Bowl. Super bowl we look at as a holiday because it does increase the business," Gaiche said.
So whether it's pizza, wings, or your last minute groceries, stores and restaurants say Super Bowl Sunday is a big boost to the local economy.
