Basketball players aren’t the only ones feeling the pressure of March Madness.
Local bar owners say when it comes to the NCAA tournament, they depend on local success. March, for some, is their busiest time of year — much due to college basketball.
“Obviously the further they go in the tournament, the better it’s going to be for us because more people will come in to watch the games,” said Lenea Nicholson, general manager of Wichita’s west-side Old Chicago. “If we lose any of the teams in the first or second rounds not as many people are going to come out and watch teams that aren’t Kansas affiliated.”
Yet, Nicholson has high expectations for KU, K-State and especially Wichita State.
“The atmosphere is alive in here each and every time that they play,” she said. “It’s a sea of gold and black. Everybody’s cheering together. Everybody’s having a good time. It’s just so much fun.”
On game day, the atmosphere at Larry Bud’s transforms, said owner Will Harmon.
“Obviously it’s great,” he said. “We’re in Shocker nation here and we’re so close to the campus. We fill up a few hours early.”
“Coach Marshall says they learn from winning one game at a time,” Harmon continued. “We learn from winning here too. This place is packed and we learn each time about how to treat our customers better and how to get through another crazy, busy Shocker game.”