San Jose businesses prep for Super Bowl
SAN JOSE, Calif. - The Super Bowl is now 11 days away and planning is underway for the official watch parties in the Bay Area. Businesses in downtown San Jose are already preparing for big crowds.
Although nothing is official, there is a lot of buzz downtown that there may be viewing parties at San Jose City Hall, San Pedro Square and Levi’s Stadium for fans who can't afford to go to Miami.
49er fans remain on cloud nine following Sunday's NFC championship win.
“I was hopeful that this would be a good year,” said Heather Weissel of San Mateo. “When they started playing well in the early season, it was thrilling. I never imagined it would go this far. It’s super exciting.”
“I never thought we would go this far but I always believed in Garrapolo,” said Anne Furuya of San Jose.
The team is Super Bowl bound against the Kansas City Chiefs. The big question now is where to watch the game.
“I’m not going to Miami,” said Weissel. “In my dreams, I’m going to Miami. We have a tradition. We always watch the Super Bowl at my parent’s house.”
As many fans prepare to watch Super Bowl 54 in the comfort of their home, retailers are prepping too. They are hoping to score big on big screen TVs and home theater equipment. Many businesses including Best Buy and Costco are offering deals leading up to the game.
“As for Super Bowl, I’m a little nervous to be honest,” said April Seo, general manager of SP2 Communal Restaurant and Bar. “We can only imagine how many people are going to come out. I'm expecting at least 700 to 800 people.”
SP2 in San Pedro Square hosted the official watch parties for the two home playoff games. At one point, 600 fans showed up with people waiting in line for three hours.
“It was super intense,” said Seo. “It was probably what we would have done in a Friday and Saturday.”
The bar is expected to host the South Bay watch party for the Super Bowl with talk of a kid-friendly area to accommodate families. The restaurant is stocking up.
“We are ordering extra kegs,” said Seo. “We are ordering extra food, having extra security to make sure everyone is having a fun and safe time.”
“Over at San Pedro Square, we are flying red and gold colors on Post Street and over at City Hall,” said Scott Knies of the San Jose Downtown Association. “There is just a lot of pride to have the Niners back in the Super Bowl.”
Knies expects businesses catering to the Niner Faithful will see a modest bump in sales.
“I know when we hosted the Super Bowl at Levi’s Stadium four or five years ago, Denver versus Carolina, it was a little bit ho hum,” said Knies. “This is going to be exciting.”
The 49ers said more details about the official viewing parties could come out as soon as Thursday. As for SP2, they plan to open early at 1 p.m. well before kick-off.