Business & Tech

Route 1, Wrentham Businesses Ready for AFC Game Sunday

Local business owners and Patriot Place gearing up for some serious football business.

Unless you are living under a rock, you know the AFC Championship game is at Gillette on Sunday and businesses along Route 1 are getting ready.

John Lightizer, owner of the Red Rooster in Wrentham said he expects good business as well, even as far down Route 1.

“Football season in general is good for business,” he said. “This week should be pretty good. Everyone’s going to be coming before the game and we’ll definitely some late night traffic after.”

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Lightizer added that the playoff game against the Houston Texans saw a serious uptick in his sales.

"It was great, there were a lot of fired up peple," he said. "The hype is all good because we’re winning. It will keep everyone fired up for the Super Bowl."

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Lightizer said he expects a big win for New England on Sunday.

“38-17,” he said. “I don’t see them having any problem. I’m already booking flights for the Super Bowl.”

Ron Young, the owner and operator of the Lafayette House in Foxborough, said he’s already received several reservations and is looking forward to a very busy game day.

“Our phones have been ringing off the hook,” he said. “Last weekend [versus the Texans] it was a little warmer out, people were saying ‘Oh, it’s 50 degrees out in January, I can’t believe this weather.’ This weekend, they’re going to say ‘It’s not 50 degrees out, can you believe this weather?’”

Young added that the later start time of the game compared to last weekend will make everybody busy along the Route 1 corridor because there will be less people tailgating.

Dan Barros, a manager at the CBS Scene at Patriots Place. said they are gearing up for an extremely heavy crowd.

“We’re actually expecting, since it’s probably the biggest game of the year, we’ll have the biggest turnout of the year. All of our employees, 135, are on for the day. It’s all hands on deck.”

Foxborough hotels are also looking at great business this Sunday. America’s Best Value Inn and the Gaard Hotel on Route 1 are both completely booked. As of Friday, the Renaissance Boston Patriot Place Hotel still had a few rooms available, starting at about $800 a pop.

Nancy Cowles, the British Beer Company general manager in Walpole, said the BBC’s location on Route 1 is perfect for pregame activities, because the traffic to the game doesn’t start at that area of the road.

“It’s not bad traffic wise, typically traffic starts by the 95 exit there, we’re in that area right before it starts to get bad,” she said. “But typically, we end up with a pretty full bar.”

Young said he’s a little more tentative, and is seriously worried about fumbles, interceptions and turnovers.

“There’s n NFL statistic that states if you have three of them the likelihood of winning drops so low it’s unbelievable,” he said. “They just have to control the ball. During the Raven game last week, everyone in that game was all over that ball trying to create a fumble.”

Barros said he ‘s more than confident the CBS Scene will host another Super Bowl party.

“I have full faith in the Pats, they’ve been in this situation before,” he said. “The team’s really focused. I think we’ll be able to take it to the Super Bowl.”

Cowles said she’s a huge fan and will be rooting for New England all the way, thinks they need to step up their game for Sunday.

“They need to play better than they did last week if they want to win this week,” she said.


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