Oakland’s businesses bowl ready

Hemingway’s Cafe has been one of the most popular bars in Oakland for Steelers games all season,… Hemingway’s Cafe has been one of the most popular bars in Oakland for Steelers games all season, but don’t expect owner John Glavsky to keep its doors open for Super Bowl Sunday. ‘I’m trying to go to Florida,’ he said. With the exception of Hemingway’s, Pizza Roma and Qdoba, many Oakland businesses will be open for customers who want to watch the game and celebrate afterward. Spice Cafe recently purchased a 60-inch flat screen television and Primanti Brothers bought a new surround sound system and flat screen televisions for the big game. However, rowdy revelers beware. Restaurants and bars will taken extra security precautions. ‘Our biggest worry is having people in here who are over-served,’ said Mad Mex’s manager, Nicolette Chilton. Chilton said her employees will watch for those who have been drinking and will be careful when supplying alcohol. Spice Cafe, which usually only has one employee staffed for Sunday night, will have someone checking identifications at the door, in addition to a bus boy and a bartender, said Jesse Creegan, manager of Spice Cafe on Atwood Street. The businesses have also stocked up to prepare for the surge of the Steeler Nation. Six employees, instead of the usual two, will work at Mellinger’s Beer Distributor on Semple Street, which has ordered extra Pittsburgh beers for the game rush. ‘State law regulates we close at 5 p.m., but as long as you are in by 5 p.m., you get served,’ said owner Jaime Hively. Hively said that the distributor had its highest sales the past two times the Steelers made the Super Bowl. Closer to Pitt campus, the answer to a successful Super Bowl night is simple. ‘A lot of fries. A lot of beer. A lot of dogs,’ said Terry Campasano, owner of The Original Hot Dog Shop. Those looking for a late night pizza fix can head over to Antoon’s, a ‘Steelers family-run business,’ said co-owner Ray Abraham. Abraham expects Antoon’s to stay open until 4 a.m. to accommodate the revelers, but he suggests pre-ordering food. ‘One year we ran out [of pizza]. They started making pizza subs,’ he said. If Antoon’s becomes too rowdy, employees are ready to kick people out of the restaurant, added Abraham. Although they have to work during the game, the staff of Oakland’s bars and restaurants is still looking forward to an exciting evening. ‘ ‘If we’re stuck in here, we might as well have fun,’ said Chilton, whose employees can watch the game while working at Mad Mex. Primanti Brothers manager Bill Lantz agreed. ‘The atmosphere is pretty much to celebrate with customers,’ said Lantz. There are many Primanti Brothers restaurants and different bars in Pittsburgh where people can watch the game, he said, so he does not expect his restaurant to become too unruly. As Super Bowl XLIII comes to a close Sunday night, Oakland businesses will brace themselves for the surge of students preparing to take to the streets. The Steelers last won the Super Bowl in 2006, and many businesses recall the mayhem that flooded Oakland following the game. ‘It was ridiculous,’ said Creegan. People kicked down street signs, overturned cars and set couches on fire, he said. When mounted patrols came to clear the streets in the early morning, garbage cans and Terrible Towels were everywhere, added Angela Gaitaniella, a manager at Primanti Brothers. In anticipation of this year’s celebratory activity, Pittsburgh police will close Fifth Avenue, Forbes Avenue and the majority of Central Oakland to vehicles at the start of the final quarter, around 9 p.m. (See page 2 graphic.) Many business owners agree this is important for crowd control, but some wish the roads would stay open. ‘It’s not fair for the people who go back and forth to work,’ said Joanne Keys, manager at The Original Hot Dog Shop.