As the 49ers and the Chiefs face off in Super Bowl LIV, dining locations across town are buckling down in efforts to churn out hundreds — if not thousands — of wings, pizzas and game-day grub.
Wings Over, Ithaca’s long-standing wings eatery, started preparation two weeks ago, ordering extra chicken and setting up an online pre-order system that assigns time slots to pickups. Manager Mike Moyer is well-versed in the hustle, having worked in food service through the past 15 Super Bowls.
Moyer told The Sun that he expects Wings Over to sell between four and five thousand bone-in wings, on top of half a ton of boneless wings. Since he planned in advance, Moyer said “there is very little risk of running out.”
“It’s all about preparation,” Moyer said. With all hands on deck in the days leading up, Moyer estimated that Wings Over will be manned by at least 25 employees. Throughout the day, as superfans rush in-and-out to grab their grub, the store will act as “a big revolving door.”
But other Collegetown eateries don’t have as much to worry about, citing a decline in game day orders. Abdul Darouene, a Campustown Pizza employee, told The Sun that he felt like students began flocking to on-campus dining locations in recent years. Still, he expects to sell between 800 to 900 wings and around 150 pizzas.
Regardless of how much restaurants anticipate selling, employees are hard at work with business running as usual.