April
Spring is in the air every April and that means lots of playoff excitement. From the end of the NCAA basketball/hockey tournaments to the NBA and NHL playoffs beginning, the month boasts so many meaningful games it’s hard to count. Add to that the beginning of MLB baseball and the month gives you ample content to promote. Let’s dig in and see what will drive April traffic.
Annually the NCAA tournaments (Men’s & Women’s) end the last weekend in March. However, this year the calendar pushes them into the first weekend in April. That means that first Friday through to Monday has amazing games for guests to gather at your restaurant to enjoy. The following week you get the NCAA Hockey Frozen Four to round out the Winter college sports season.
Over in the pro ranks, both the NBA and NHL start their playoff seasons mid month. This is the second year the NBA runs their Play-In tournament. This was very popular last year and should generate some excellent interest from guests. The NHL starts their own marathon post-season, along with the regular NBA playoffs, the third weekend of the month.
Speaking of playoffs, Europe’s UEFA Champions & Europa Leagues start their own playoffs mid-month with some great mid-day games to create fun alternative traffic. And finally, MLB makes its return in April as well. Games begin the first week and that content will be ubiquitous until nearly November.
All-in-all, April is a decent month for promoting some great content. It is also, honestly, the beginning of the slow decline of great content until June when all you’re left with is the daily grind of the MLB season. Either way, it’s up to you to create excitement where you can find it and April gives you ample opportunity to do just that.
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March
Those of us that manage sports themed restaurants know that is filled with Madness, but that doesn’t mean it’s only basketball. From golf to auto racing the month is by far one of the most intense of the year when it comes to quality sports on TV content. If you can’t drive traffic in March, then your restaurant needs to rethink it’s theme, if you ask me. Let’s dig in and see what’s in store for the first month of Spring.
In March it all revolves around the NCAA Men’s basketball tournament. However, in recent years, the Women’s version has also driven a lot of interest. The two together have an unmistakable impact on the month’s traffic. From the Play-in Games to the final tip off, these tournaments create billions in economic activity, so get your share and market hard for your place.
Of course, there’s more than just college hoops to drive interest. The three “other” major sports are hard at work in March. The NBA and NHL are at the back half of their seasons and the stakes will be getting higher and MLB get’s underway late in the month to insure everyone that has a sport they love can visit your restaurant to watch it.
To top it all off there is NASCAR rolling through, UEFA Champions for European football and the PGA as normal to keep your afternoons interesting. March will always be a strong month for sports bars, and you should plan for it all year long. Have a great month of sports action and let us know how you did.
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