Live sports are returning to empty stadiums and arenas. Can this signal big business for sports bars around the country? If anything, it’s going to open the creative flood gates.
Buffalo Wild Wings Tuesday unveiled its strategy, starting with Major League Baseball. The brand wants to “keep baseball rituals fans have come to know and love alive,” it said, while still maintaining strict social distancing due to COVID-19 (6 feet apart, 50 percent capacity, masks). Its goal: Recreate the sights, sounds, and atmosphere of a ballpark inside restaurants.
Buffalo Wild Wings will begin this activation outside of Washington’s stadium in D.C. on Thursday, and move to other cities around the league throughout the season.
Here are some of Buffalo Wild Wings’ initiatives:
Beer vendors inside the restaurant. The chain hired some of the country’s most famous purveyors—Perry Hahn aka “RoboVendor,” Clarence Haskett aka “Fancy Clancy,” and Todd Georgelas to sling brews to customers throughout the D.C. restaurant.
“Fancy Clancy” will be joining his fellow beer vendors from Baltimore.
The chain also tapped Washington Nationals ballpark organist Matthew Van Hoose to provide the musical vibe.
As an added perk, customers can order wings out of classic plastic baseball helmets.
To spread the campaign, Buffalo Wild Wings plans to debut a new 60-second spot on ESPN during the Washington/New York game.
