PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Local sports bars in Portland are gearing up for Super Bowl fans by taking their festivities outside to comply with state-mandated COVID-19 rules.
Business owners who have the patio space said they feel fortunate to be able to serve customers outdoors.
Just south of downtown along the waterfront, Portland Sports Bar & Grill already has its tents and televisions set up for outdoor viewing.
“We made the transition to outdoor dining as best we can,” said co-owner Jeffrey Ottman. “It’s ended up working out a lot better than we could ever expect, we’ve been almost (a) full house every day since we had to make the transition to outdoor dining.”
Ottman said the restaurant will have heaters set up to keep fans warm as well as portable tents adapted for the outdoor space.
Other bars like the Pearl District’s River Pig Saloon are also getting set up for the big day. Employees at River Pig said the Super Bowl is normally one of the restaurant’s biggest days of the year. This year, they are trying to make the most of it by hosting the party on the patio with televisions and a soundbar.
The space has around eight tables and can occupy up to 50 people, said manager April Hersh
“We are super fortunate to have an area outside to accommodate a large amount of people, so I think that we will definitely be busy,” she said. “We will be doing party to-go packs. So, for $40 you can get all of our top appetizers. You can do preorder and pick them up Sunday whenever you want.”
Hersh estimates that the number of people at River Pig will be down about 70% from normal so they will be relying a lot on take-out orders to make a profit this year.
Ottman said his customers are grateful to have a space open for the Super Bowl, as it provides them a sense of normalcy.