Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - The success of the Buffalo Sabres this season has been felt throughout the fanbase in Western New York, especially at the epicenter of it all in Downtown Buffalo and right around KeyBank Center.
But what about businesses outside of the city? Have some businesses felt the same impact as those downtown with an influx of people enjoying the Sabres? To a similar extent, the answer is a resounding yes.
"What a wonderful turnaround the Sabres have had this year, and it came at a perfect time, too, for everybody in the community, as we're licking our wounds from the [Buffalo] Bills not going as far as we hoped they would," said Dave Schutte, owner of Britesmith Brewing in Williamsville and Buffalo. "Then this time of year, generally, is challenging for businesses. So to have the Sabres be successful the way they are, we're leaning into that and doing watch parties, doing specials just to kind of bring people in and people are loving it."
"It's great to see the people wearing the blue and gold again, coming out on game night, and it's getting busier and busier. That's good for all involved in my industry," added John Bona from Amherst Ale House in Getzville.
Paul Santora from Santora's Pizza Pub and Grill in Williamsville and Cheektowaga says it's been so long since people have had the interest in coming out for a Sabres game.
"Just that alone - besides our regular guests and then the substantial amount of guests coming in to watch the game - it's really wild," said Santora in an interview with WBEN. "It's an experience we've only gotten for the last few years for Bills games, and now it's nice, because they're playing so much more often than once a week. It's really fun, it's a great atmosphere. I've never been in a situation where I get so many text messages of people, 'Hey, can you get me a table? There's 10 of us coming in.' It's just fun. I think it's great for the community, it's great for the Sabres. It's great for everybody."
Brendan Biggane from The Byrd House in Orchard Park equates the Sabres' success this season as the "high tide lifting all boats" for several local businesses in the area.
"The Sabres have, more-or-less, been an afterthought. We have them on the TV here all the time, and we always have the sound on for the games. But now you're seeing people that are coming in that are here just to see the game," Biggane noted with WBEN. "We've got the sound on, we do our little siren thing here, and we make an event out of it every time there's a game. And we've definitely seen an uptick in people that are watching the games, that are literally coming out just to watch the games."
More business owners like Biggane are also noticing how more people are making it a point to take in a Sabres game while patroning a local establishment.
"Because of that success, I think people want to be around other people and cheering for their hometown team. I think it's definitely brought more people out than they normally would have in the past," Schutte said with WBEN.
"The energy in the room is really electric, and I think people really enjoy their their sports in Buffalo, and I think Britesmith is the perfect spot to be able to enjoy that kind of atmosphere. And we're putting the volume on now too. We've kind of leaned away from that a little bit in the beginning, but now they're having such success, people are really wanting the volume turned up."
Bona strongly feels the Sabres are, once again, must-see television for Western New Yorkers.
"You can definitely validate that by going out to a local bar or restaurant that has plenty of TVs, showing the game," Bona said with WBEN. "The enthusiasm is unbelievable, people are into the game. If you're not concentrating on it and all of a sudden the Sabres score, you're gonna get scared by the roar. It's really fun. It gives me flashbacks from the mid- and late 2000s."
Especially with the Sabres riding hot since the Olympic break, Santora has noticed more-and-more people making it a point to watch the game with others.
"This Tuesday night, it was a different atmosphere. There was double the people at the bar, the tables were staying a little longer because the game was on, there were people on the patio. It was just a really nice, busier, exciting atmosphere for this time of year, where the cold and everything's changing," Santora said.
"The place is going crazy every time the Sabres scored or did something well, or even for the fighting. And that's another new twist the Sabres haven't done before, and that's adding excitement to the game as well. But the winning streak has definitely been a boon to us, for sure," Biggane added.
Even though it has been 15 years since the last time the Sabres last played a playoff game, many can remember the last time they were in the postseason and the electricity the region experienced.
"There's a lot of people, like my son, for instance, he really remembers that run, he was in his teens, as far as going out and enjoying that success. But I think people had been yearning for it for years, and all of a sudden now it's here and it's real," Schutte said.
"Based on our customers, the fans are very vested in this team, and really think there's an opportunity to do something we've never done before," Bona added.
Santora remembers back when he opened his location on Millersport Highway - now Wingnutz - people could not get into the restaurant on a Tuesday night if there was a Sabres game.
"People were showing up an hour to an hour-and-a-half early. It was an energy that I feel it's gaining, to be that point," he said. "People, unfortunately, they lose confidence, but you saw that game on Tuesday; they're so sure of themselves. It's definitely old school hockey, for sure, and it's great."
Meanwhile, others like Biggane have never gotten the chance to host a playoff watch party involving the Sabres since his business opened.
"The Byrd House has been here in the Village of Orchard Park for 14 years, and I've yet to have a Sabres playoff game on in our history. And this year is going to be our first year, and we're super excited about that," he said. "During the last playoff run, I was managing Brennan's out in Williamsville, and that was obviously 20 years ago, but it's something that is fresh in my mind of just how the whole area just buys into it. Heck, we were probably six or eight-deep at the bar for the those playoff runs at Brennan's in those days, and we're really excited about some playoff games on the TV here at the Byrd House."
Are businesses already readying for the playoffs by planning any specific watch parties or other events to celebrate the Sabres' return to the postseason? For some, not quite yet.
"We'll look at that, but I'm thinking we'll probably lean into a little bit more of a playoff atmosphere once we get to that point, hopefully, and have more specials and really try to make it a great venue for people to come and enjoy the game," Schutte admitted.
"We're a true sports bar, so we're ready to go at anything," Santora added. "We have the same good promotions, people know our atmosphere, they know our service. They know our ability to get excitement in our games. We're pretty confident that - I'm not going to say if - when they make the playoffs, it's absolutely going to be an energy that is phenomenal, like the end of the season when the Bills get in. People in Buffalo love sports, and they love their teams. And I think, unlike a lot of other cities, they're ready to go. They're pumped for this."
As for Bona, he has already made plans to adjust his staffing and the atmosphere as the Sabres make the final push for the playoffs.
"We were fortunate to be one of 10 bars in the 'Sabrehood Bar Network', so we have been doing extra promotions every single game, and will be for the duration of the regular season with giveaways," he said. "We've always done specials during Sabres games, 'Until they win the Stanley Cup' was our slogan back in 2005 when they were coming off a lockout year. So we have been supplying the essentials for the party, but now the Sabres are really coming through and getting everybody pumped up."