Your Survival Guide To Super Bowl 51

How To Prepare For And Survive Super Bowl 51

Whether you’re planning to watch Super Bowl 51 from home or go out, there are a couple of things to keep in mind when preparing for the game.

For those staying home to watch the game and hosting a Super Bowl party, plan early. Kickoff for the game is 6:30 p.m., but don’t wait until a couple hours before the game to go get supplies.

The National Retail Federation expects consumers to spend $14.1 billion on Super Bowl activities this year. Of that total nearly 80 percent will be spent on food and beverages, said their annual survey. With that said, if you’re planning on providing food and beverages for your guests, go today.

Photo: Groupon

Beer is a big seller on Super Bowl weekend and you don’t want to be left drinking anything other than your favorite beer. Furthermore, wings and pizza will see a spike in sales as well. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Super Bowl is the second largest food consumption day in America, only second to Thanksgiving.

If you’re planning on ordering pizza and wings, be sure to call early. According to RetailMeNot.com, Americans will buy 12.5 million pizzas on Super Bowl Sunday with orders averaging $26.45.

In fact, pizza will be at such a high demand that wait times could easily be hours, not minutes. Forbes reported that Pizza Hut announced they would hire 11,000 employees in Super Bowl preparation. Hungry Howies said they expect to sell 200,600 pizzas on Super Bowl Sunday.

Going out to watch the big game will require some preparation as well though. Sports bars are the busiest restaurants on Super Bowl Sunday and are likely to fill up hours before kickoff.

Buffalo Wild Wings recently sent Forbes their weekend wing sales numbers and the boost on Super Bowl Sunday is shocking. The corporation normally sells 6,000 wings on a typical weekend, but over the Super Bowl weekend that number rises to 13,500.

Plus friends don’t just come for a quick meal, they are likely to make it a day-long trip to local sports bars. So if you’re planning on going out to catch the game be sure to arrange with friends who will go to get a table ahead of time.

Furthermore, have a designated driver or an Uber set up. Let’s face it, a few pitchers of beer will probably be passed around the table throughout the game.

Allison Leslie is a University of South Florida graduate with a bachelors degree in Mass Communications. She joined Genesis in 2016. With a passion for sports, Allison has interned with 620 WDAE, Pewter Report, Trifecta Team: St. Petersburg Bowl, Bullscast, and many other publications. Being a native to the Bay Area, she has followed and supported Tampa Bay teams her whole life.