A few local St. Albert bars say they aren't experiencing a major drop off in business after the Oilers playoff run, like some restaurants and bars in Edmonton are reporting.
The Edmonton Oilers playoff run ended in heartbreak this past June, as they fell for a second consecutive Stanley Cup Finals loss to the Florida Panthers. Although the run didn't end the way many in St. Albert and the Edmonton area hoped, they did enjoy a boost of business during the two month run.
At least for Edmonton restaurants, that seems to have slowed significantly as the summer has worn on. The Edmonton Journal reported that many Edmonton restaurants and bars are feeling a slump since the playoffs ended.
But some St. Albert establishments said they aren't experiencing a similar drop off, at least not in a major way that some Edmonton businesses are suggesting. Owner of the Crown and Tower Neighbourhood Pub Troy Marchak said business for the most part has been fairly steady.
"Normally July and August are a bit of our slower times anyways, with people going away on holidays and camping," Marchak said. "We haven't seen a major drop."
He added that they're actually busier this summer than in past years.
"We've picked up some more regulars. Our wing nights are crazy busy. So I don't know what exactly is the reason, but we're certainly glad about it," he said.
Kristen Yates, the front of house manager at Dicey Reilly's told a similar story. She said they saw some drop over the August long weekend, but there hasn't been a major decline in business since the playoffs ended.
"Long weekends always have an effect, because people travel. So some of those days we do see a little bit of a drop off. But for the most part we've stayed quite busy," Yates said.
She said the pub has done a lot of work to maintain its business throughout the year.
"We're turning five this year in September, so just kind of growing our roots a little bit, gaining more regulars in the community, things like that," she said.
The city's outdoor watch parties, which were hosted at Servus Credit Union Place, weren't deemed to be an issue for the restaurant owners either. Mayor Cathy Heron said during the May 26 meeting when they were approved that she was worried in the past about taking away from local business.
"Those outdoor parties didn't affect us at all. I think it was a good idea, families could go and get together and celebrate the Oilers," Marchak said.
Those parties saw an attendance between 200 and 1,200 people, St. Albert's Manager for Funding and Special Events for Recreation and Parks Anna Royer said in a statement.
"Attendance was largely dependent on the weather conditions for each game day," Royer said in an email. "The response was overwhelmingly positive, with many praising the family-friendly setup, quality of the viewing experience and the overall sense of community."
