WISCONSIN — March Madness is a busy time for many Wisconsin bars and restaurants, especially when the Badgers and the Golden Eagles are involved.
Ryan Gardner is the owner of Curly’s Waterfront Sports Bar & Grill in Pewaukee, Wis.
It didn’t take long for his establishment to fill up before the Wisconsin v. Montana game Thursday.
“It’s definitely a packed house," Gardner said. "It’s big. People get excited and they come out for them and cheer them on. We should be full for the Marquette game tomorrow.”
The Wisconsin game gave Badger fans a lot to cheer for, as they won 85-66 against Montana.
Lost in that sea of red was Andy Kirchner, a Marquette fan.
“A lot of red going on which is cool," Kirchner said. "Badger fans are cool. A lot of fun. A lot of talking back and forth. It’s all in good fun and I recommend it for everybody.”
Other establishments are also expecting big things during tournament action.
Docs’s Commerce Smokehouse in downtown Milwaukee is only blocks away from Fiserv Forum, which is hosting a handful of March Madness games.
Jimmy Hall, the general manager, said his team is ready for Friday.
“With every hotel within a 15-block radius, 20-block radius sold out," Hall said. "We are just very excited. This much foot traffic does wonders for our business.”
Hall said he is also looking forward to giving traveling fans a positive experience while they are in Milwaukee.
“Many of our staff members here are walking tour guides to Milwaukee," Hall said. "Milwaukee and downtown has a lot to offer. We are just prepared to give everyone the information.”
Gardner said while Docs’s Commerce Smokehouse is offering drink specials and a chance to win Milwaukee Brewers tickets to entice customers, he believes the NCAA tournament will do a lot of the heavy lifting.
“Everybody loves to fill out their bracket," Gardner said. "Everybody is into it and they want to follow their brackets and watch it live with their friends and get groups of people out here.”
