TOLEDO, Ohio — March Madness continues to be a slam dunk for local bars and restaurants. After being canceled last year, the annual tournament has drawn even more attention this year.
Local businesses say the timing couldn't be better for fans and businesses.
"People are out, they're enjoying themselves, and we have lots of basketball on the screens," said Bubba's 33 owner Scott McDole.
It's been a tough year for restaurants and bars. It can feel so long ago that a night out to eat didn't come with so many precautions. But the return of March Madness has given the industry a much-needed three-point punch.
"Since it was canceled, this year has been bigger," said McDole. "You know people definitely missed out on it last year and now they came out this year to support us."
He says things are all hitting at the right time. Stimulus checks, more vaccines and live entertainment are making a comeback and all of these have led to more people coming out. He added his restaurant has seen more business since the curfew in Ohio was lifted back in February.
"You can just feel it in the atmosphere," he said. "People have been just reeling to get out and once the governor lifted, we just started getting really slammed at night."
Over on Monroe Street, Bar 145, which is not a traditional sports bar, has even seen people filter in for NCAA basketball.
"It helped a lot and I think seeing that come back was really good," said owner Brandon Saba. "We're hoping for more this year."
Saba believes people are ready for masks and restrictions to be gone. But he stressed businesses need to be leaders right now to bring back some semblance of normalcy.
"We still have a responsibility," he said, "the community still has a responsibility to follow the guidelines and make sure we get back to that so we can all do that again."
The return of sports and concerts will continue to help. Saba says he's going into this spring and summer a lot more optimistic than last year.
"100 percent absolutely," he said. "I think the governor and everyone involved has made the right decisions and gotten us to a point where we can feel a little more comfortable and hopefully get us to that next step."
All of this, Saba says, takes us one step closer to a normal night out.
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