Local bars, restaurants hope NCAA tournament brings in big revenue

CHARLOTTE — Saturday is the night fans have been waiting for. The North Carolina Tar Heels and the Duke Blue Devils are meeting in the NCAA tournament for the first time ever.

With all the excitement, bars and restaurants are hoping to see a boost in revenue.

Channel 9′s Glenn Counts spoke to a few business owners ahead of the big game.

They told Counts they were expecting a high payday thanks to the Final Four showdown.

Ahmad Mohammad, owner of Sofie’s Steakhouse, said he had taken to psychology to describe the love-hate relationship between Duke and Carolina.

“Believe it or not, they love each other. They can’t survive without each other,” Mohammad said.

He said tonight will be a challenge for his staff.

“We were already booked for this Saturday. And then we just add the Duke-Carolina game. Yes, we’ll see how our staff is going to do,” Mohammad said.

Sofie’s will be home to the UNC Black Alumni Association watch party, he said.

One of the watch parties for Duke will be at Jackalope Jacks in Plaza Midwood. Owner Robert Nixon said that while the teams both wear blue, the only color he hopes to see tonight is green.

“We’re excited to be here and show the game,” Nixon said. “I don’t know what we’re gonna get. Sports areas are a little different. It is 9 o’clock but we are expecting a good crowd of 100 to 150 people.”

While the pandemic feels like a long time ago, many bars and restaurants are still playing catch up.

However, owners said nights like this certainly help.

(WATCH BELOW: Round 3: UNC, Duke set for 1st NCAA meeting in Final Four)

Round 3: UNC, Duke set for 1st NCAA meeting in Final Four

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