'It's a great way to generate revenue': central Ontario businesses count down to Super Bowl

Super Bowl Sunday is hours away, and for many central Ontario businesses, the game is expected to bring a significant revenue boost.

Last month, restaurants were once again forced to shut their doors and pivot to take-out as the province grappled with the rise of the Omicron variant.

Nearly two weeks ago, the province outlined a reopening strategy. The plan included restaurants being allowed to operate at 50 per cent capacity.

"It's a great way to generate revenue that is long overdue," said Jason Farrugia, the co-owner of Perfect SZN in Bradford.

While in-door dining was banned last month, Farrugia and his team spent the time rebranding and renovating the once Don Cherry's.

Now, with the majority of the restaurant overhauled, they are ready to open just in time for kickoff.

"The closure in January, it was time to take our lumps and switch the brand and reopen and use things like the Super Bowl and St Patrick's Day to launch our brand," said Farrugia sitting in his newly renovated bar section.

Restaurants across central Ontario say Super Bowl is more than just a game. It's a day that provides an essential financial boost after the holiday season.

"We're fully sold out for tomorrow," said Allan Cockburn the owner of the Olde Village Freehouse in Newmarket.

Cockburn says having 50 per cent of his customers allowed to be in the restaurant at once is better than nothing, but it does take a financial toll on the business.

Fortunately for Cockburn, he says his loyal customer base has supported him throughout, but it's more than just capacity that is affecting the businesses.

"The pricing of product is through the roof," said Cockburn.

"Chicken wings used be like free, they'd give them away, now they're a complete loss litre."

The supply chain shortages have also taken a toll on chain restaurants like St. Louis.

The Barrie-area operations manager for the popular sports bar, Caroline Copp, told CTV News, when the reopening began they faced challenges getting their signature products but it has since settled down.

"We estimate to make 26,000 pounds of wings chain-wide," said Copp

"We will be preparing a quarter of a million wings tomorrow alone."

It's not just restaurants getting a financial boost from the Super Bowl after a tough month.

Memorabilia is flying off the shelves at a Cookstown sporting store.

For the past week, All star sports inside the Tanger Outlet Mall has been receiving shipments of Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles Rams jerseys, sweaters, helmets and other collectables to meet the demand.

"My Burrow jerseys, I think we have 30 between the two teams, and I'm sure the Burrow jerseys will be gone, but we might have a few Stafford ones left over," said Don Preston, the owner of Allstar Sports.

Dr. Kieran Moore, Ontario top doctor, said last week that the peak of this COVID-19 wave "is now behind us" and will be making recommendations to the provincial government as soon as this upcoming week on what public health measures can be eased.

The province is currently slated to lift capacity limits in indoor settings that require proof of vaccination as of Feb. 21.