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Talker: Trump can’t say ‘Hasta la vista’ to ‘Celebrity Apprentice’

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Owner of Cork Bar & Restaurant to sell business after nearly a decade in Wilkes-Barre

<p>No matter which team wins the big game, there are clear victors on Super Bowl Sunday: businesses in the food and beverage industry.</p><p>Area pizza shops, delis, grocery stores and beer distributors are gearing up for what is, for many, a very lucrative weekend.</p><p>While the Atlanta Falcons and New England Patriots face off during Super Bowl LI on Sunday in Houston, many locals will nosh on snacks, pizza and wings and wash them down with a cold beer. Local businesses say they are ready for the influx of customers looking to stock their game-day parties with a variety of flavors.</p><p><strong>Spike in business</strong></p><p>Rob Coolbaugh, assistant manager of Gerrity&#8217;s Supermarket in West Pittston, said the store usually sees an increase in business starting on Thursday, with the peak hitting on game day.</p><p>&#8220;When the game starts on Sunday, it turns into a ghost town in here,&#8221; he said, laughing.</p><p>Coolbaugh said he needs to staff about 10 additional employees each day over the weekend to compensate for the influx of customers coming through the doors between Thursday and Sunday.</p><p>&#8220;It compares to all the other holidays. The last couple years, it&#8217;s really picked up,&#8221; he said. &#8220;It&#8217;s not as busy as Thanksgiving or Christmas, but it&#8217;s on par with Fourth of July or Memorial Day.&#8221;</p><p>Enzo Scotto, manager of Philly Subs in Plains Township, said Super Bowl Sunday is like Christmas to his business.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s pretty much my biggest day of the year,&#8221; he said.</p><p>Bob Petro, manager at Grotto Pizza in Harveys Lake, also said it&#8217;s before the game when the restaurant sees the most action.</p><p>&#8220;We do about 200 orders prior to the Super Bowl &#8212; and that&#8217;s it,&#8221; Petro said, adding that the bar area will get a crowd to watch the game, but the dining room gets quiet once it starts at about 6:30 p.m.</p><p><strong>Football fan fare</strong></p><p>In West Pittston, Gerrity&#8217;s is offering sales on items including soda, snacks, cheese and crackers. Coolbaugh said the store sells deli platters that typically have to be ordered at least 24 hours in advance, but this weekend platters will be prepped and ready to go so party planners can pick them up as needed for Super Bowl soirees.</p><p>The deli also increases the number of homemade pizzas available, which Coolbaugh said is a big draw for customers.</p><p>&#8220;They use Agostini&#8217;s bread (for the crust),&#8221; he said. &#8220;They&#8217;re really high-end.&#8221;</p><p>He said departments will coordinate with one another to set up themed displays, such as a hot sauce display near the meat department, to make it easier for customers to find what they&#8217;re looking for.</p><p>The National Chicken Council estimates Americans will eat 1.33 billion chicken wings on Super Bowl Sunday, and local business owners are prepping for the increased flurry of fowl consumption.</p><p>At Januzzi&#8217;s Pizza and Subs in Exeter, manager Jeremy Hess said it&#8217;s a great day for business, despite the &#8220;crazy hectic-ness.&#8221;</p><p>While he wouldn&#8217;t offer specific numbers, Hess said the staff preps, fries, packs and delivers &#8220;thousands of wings&#8221; on Super Bowl Sunday. He said timed orders and setting up in advance helps move things along smoothly.</p><p>&#8220;Prior preparation prevents poor performance,&#8221; he said.</p><p>He said every employee will be working on Sunday, himself included &#8212; Hess will work the fryer and deliver orders as needed.</p><p>Petro said Grotto Pizza&#8217;s Harveys Lake location sells about 1,500 pounds of wings on Super Bowl Sunday &#8212; four times as much as a normal Sunday.</p><p><strong>Success is brewing</strong></p><p>Beer is king during the Super Bowl, according to Quality Beverage owner/manager John Barrett.</p><p>&#8220;The Super Bowl weekend is one of the better weekends of the year (for beer distributors), when you consider all the major holidays,&#8221; he said. &#8220;There&#8217;s going to be a lot of parties, and beer is the primary beverage going to be served.&#8221;</p><p>He said domestic beers, which he dubbed as &#8220;people-pleasers,&#8221; are more popular during the Super Bowl weekend.</p><p>&#8220;Miller Lite is probably the best-selling beer in the area. Yuengling Lager is very popular as well,&#8221; said Barrett.</p><p>Barrett said he hopes the recent change in state law allowing beer distributors to sell six-packs will encourage customers to try different craft beers for their Super Bowl parties this year.</p><p>&#8220;That probably will help distributors because craft beers are expensive, so it&#8217;s a lot nicer when you can buy them in a smaller quantity,&#8221; said Barrett. &#8220;It gives your guests a variety without having to buy a whole case.&#8221;</p><p>Shawn Kelly, spokesperson for the state Liquor Control Board, said the state&#8217;s Fine Wine and Good Spirits stores treat Super Bowl Sunday like any other holiday, but this year will be a bit more convenient for customers due to the passage of Act 39 last August.</p><p>The act changed many aspects of the liquor control laws in Pennsylvania, including whether liquor stores could be open on Sundays.</p><p>He said there are six more stores in Luzerne County that will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday this year compared to last year, giving customers a chance to grab any last minute spirits before the big game.</p><p><strong>Sales depend on showdown</strong></p><p>Many business owners said the teams playing in the game also can affect sales.</p><p>Coolbaugh said when Pennsylvania teams such as the Pittsburgh Steelers are involved, it&#8217;s mayhem at the grocery store.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s crazy, absolutely insane,&#8221; he said. &#8220;It&#8217;s like every (customer) has a Steelers shirt on from Wednesday to Sunday.&#8221;</p><p>Scotto said he finds that Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers fans are more likely to patronize his business when those teams are in the Super Bowl, but still sees a major uptick in business no matter who plays.</p><p>&#8220;I&#8217;m kind of disappointed this year,&#8221; he said about the two teams playing.</p><p>Petro said Pennsylvania teams do boost business a bit, but he can always count on the weekend being busy.</p><p>&#8220;The Super Bowl is the Super Bowl,&#8221; he said. &#8220;People still want to have their party and pizza and wings.&#8221;</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Assistant store manager Rob Coolbaugh stocks a display of salsa before Super Bowl Sunday at Gerrity&#8217;s Supermarket in West Pittston.  </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/web1_TTL020317Superbowl2.jpg</photo0><caption0>Assistant store manager Rob Coolbaugh stocks a display of salsa before Super Bowl Sunday at Gerrity&#8217;s Supermarket in West Pittston.  </caption0><photoCredit0>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/web1_TTL020317Superbowl3.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Mike Dalessandro stocks Wise chips at Gerrity&#8217;s Supermarket in West Pittston on Thursday. The store will have sales on snacks and other items in preparation for Super Bowl Sunday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/web1_TTL020317Superbowl3.jpg</photo1><caption1>Mike Dalessandro stocks Wise chips at Gerrity&#8217;s Supermarket in West Pittston on Thursday. The store will have sales on snacks and other items in preparation for Super Bowl Sunday. </caption1><photoCredit1>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/web1_TTL020317Superbowl4.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Super Bowl-themed cakes and other sweet treats are displayed at Gerrity&#8217;s Supermarket in West Pittston. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/web1_TTL020317Superbowl4.jpg</photo2><caption2>Super Bowl-themed cakes and other sweet treats are displayed at Gerrity&#8217;s Supermarket in West Pittston. </caption2><photoCredit2>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader </photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/web1_TTL020317Superbowl1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Jeremy Hess, manager of Januzzi&#8217;s Pizza and Subs in Exeter, streches a pizza dough Thursday afternoon. Hess said the business is already prepping for Super Bowl Sunday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/web1_TTL020317Superbowl1.jpg</photo3><caption3>Jeremy Hess, manager of Januzzi&#8217;s Pizza and Subs in Exeter, streches a pizza dough Thursday afternoon. Hess said the business is already prepping for Super Bowl Sunday. </caption3><photoCredit3>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader </photoCredit3></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Pizza shops, delis, beer distributors prep for Super Bowl Sunday</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Sarah Hite Hando</p><p>shando@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Sarah Hite Hando at 570-704-3945.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

NEPA pizza shops, delis, beer distributors prep for Super Bowl Sunday