CINCINNATI — Ahead of the Cincinnati Bengals Thursday night showdown against the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Bengals are tied for first in the AFC North after three games.
Bars and restaurants at the Banks are hoping for a large turnout for the game, which means preparing for crowds.
Holy Grail Tavern expects to reach capacity, which means more customers and the need for more staff.
"There's what we call an 'all hands on deck' kind of day," said Nick Ramsey, manager at Holy Grail. "We've just got more of everybody. More bartenders, more servers, more cooks, more doormen, more of everything. More beer, more ice."
Although the game itself is a win for local bars and restaurants, fans are also hoping for a win on the field.
"It's good to have a winning culture in Cincinnati again," Marcus Jackson, a Bengals fan, said. "Hopefully we can really keep it going for the season to hopefully see some playoff success coming up for the season."
For those who choose not to attend the game in person, bars like Holy Grail on the Banks are ready to welcome fans, who can watch the game there.
"We're gonna be, I think, at full capacity very early," Ramsey said. "We've been getting calls all day (such as) what time to get here."
The game kicks off at 8:20 p.m. on Thursday, but fans who want to stake out a spot at a local bar or restaurant should plan to be there much earlier.
