Eateries, bars court OSU fans in Valley

By Karl Henkel

khenkel@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

The seven-hour drive to Newark, N.J., may be too far for some Ohio State basketball fans, which could spell highly profitable nights for some of the Mahoning Valley’s bars and restaurants, such as Buffalo Wild Wings and Barry Dyngle’s Pub.

Doug Esenwein, regional manager for Buffalo Wild Wings, said he expects to see a 25-percent increase in sales throughout Friday when the top-ranked Buckeyes square off with fourth-seeded Kentucky, and anywhere from $1,000 to $2,000 in additional income from 9 p.m. to midnight.

He also anticipates fans to show up as early as 8 p.m. for the 9:45 p.m. tip-off, and that local locations — Austintown, Boardman, Youngstown, Niles — will likely be standing-room only. The OSU game will be on all six jumbo screens at all venues and also on many of Buffalo Wild Wings’ 20 to 35 smaller televisions.

Esenwein said fans also can come for the early games (North Carolina-Marquette tips at 7:15 p.m.) and won’t get booted if they decide to stay the whole night, even if they don’t continue ordering food and beverages.

“That’s kind of the essence of what we do that’s different than other restaurants,” he said. “That’s the fabric. We live and die by our local sports.”

Shawn Hannon, owner of Barry Dyngle’s Pub in Austintown, said his restaurant will show the OSU game on most of its 20 televisions and said he’s optimistic he could see a bigger crowd tonight, but there are many variables that could affect tonight’s gate, including pending inclement weather and Lent.

“We’ll definitely get a shot in the arm for sure,” Hannon said. “The further they go [in the tournament], the more people I expect.”

Hannon may get lucky; Ohio State is a perfect 5-0 against Kentucky all-time in NCAA Tournament play, and four of those victories came in regional rounds.

He also expects an amplified number of carryout orders for house parties, much like when the Pittsburgh Steelers played in February’s Super Bowl.

Sean Pregibon, owner of Youngstown Sports Grille in Boardman, says crowds depend a lot on the day and time of game; games that start later on weekdays tend to push fans toward house parties. Pregibon says YSG should “double or triple” its traffic tonight.

Other locations throughout the Valley, including Quaker Steak and Lube in Austintown, also plan to show the game on most of their available televisions.