As the Footprint Center welcomed the Phoenix Suns back into the arena at full capacity, nearby restaurants saw an influx of fans.
The NBA kicked off its 2021-22 regular season in late October with arenas across the nation returning to near full or full capacity for the first time in two seasons after COVID-19 forced fans out.
The Footprint Center averages attendance for its games at 83.5%, according to the 2022 NBA Attendance Report.
Fans who’ve had to sit the majority of the past two seasons out view this as a comeback, and local restaurants and bars neighboring the Sun’s stadium view this as a relief.
“We’ve always been a place that’s been very busy when the Suns play because of the name and the proximity to the arena,” said Jordan Noble, a manager at Majerle’s Sports Grill located in downtown Phoenix. “But having the games back at full capacity has been really big for us.”
Smaller restaurants and bars that border the arena rely heavily on Sun’s fans for the health of their business.
Crown Public House, a restaurant within a few blocks of the Footprint Center, was a popular destination for fans to go to before heading to the arena.
When stadiums put a pause on in-person attendance, Crown Public House lost one of its main sources of revenue.
“2020 was definitely a hard year,” said Donny Phillippi, co-owner of Crown Public House. “We would take turns bartending and cooking and you really had to go back to your basics.”
To make up for lost profit, Phillippi turned his restaurant into a makeshift shop selling goods such as toilet paper, sanitizer and other sought-after items during the height of the pandemic.
Once a ghost town, Crown Public House now sees a huge rise in sales as fans rally back to the stadium.
“We’re up 40% pretty much over 2019 numbers,” Phillippi said. “People are definitely coming back.”
When the Phoenix Suns play at home, downtown Phoenix comes to life as restaurants and bars are packed full of fans who choose to cheer on their teams close to the stadium.
“We have to prepare more for basketball games than we do for a convention of 5,000 people,” said Harrison St. Pierre, a manager at the Kettle Black Kitchen and Pub located in downtown Phoenix.
During home games, St. Pierre witnesses his restaurant completely fill up as fans grub up before heading to the arena.
“They’re out to the game, and we’re still busy. And then when the game loads out, then it’s like a no holds bar,” St. Pierre said.
Phillippe and St. Pierre attribute the spike in business not only to the return of in-person attendance, but to a Suns “bandwagon” as the team found themselves competing in the NBA Finals last season before losing to the Milwaukee Bucks.
However, no matter one’s NBA team preference, owners and managers of restaurants nestled near the Footprint Center are glad to welcome back fans.
“Having people back downtown and having a reason to be downtown has been great,” said Noble.
Contact the reporter esacia@asu.edu.
