NEW ORLEANS - From the Warehouse District to the French Quarter -- bars and restaurants in New Orleans are gearing up for huge crowds this weekend.
Beer trucks lined Bourbon Street Friday morning, as businesses stocked up before the Super Bowl rush.
"We expect a capacity crowd here," said Earl Bernhardt, owner of Tropical Isle.
Bernhardt points to the night of the NFC Championship, when enormous crowds inundated the French Quarter.
He believes the Super Bowl celebration will reach a new level.
"We've had calls from people from Hattiesburg, Meridian, Biloxi, over in Alabama -- that are all coming over here to watch the game in New Orleans and be a part of the festivities. So it's gonna be probably the biggest party this city's ever seen," Bernhardt said. "I think this Sunday is gonna be like Mardi Gras Day, I really do. We're staffing up for it."
Bernhardt and other bar owners say they're even bringing in extra televisions, so everyone can get a clear view of what could become the biggest television event in New Orleans history.
Some businesses will be open to everyone, while others sold advance tickets.
"It was crazy,” said Emily MacLean, Special Events Coordinator at Deanie’s Seafood. “We sold 380 tickets in 3 days, and we have a waiting list of about 150 people."
Deborah Schumacher, General Manager of Lucy’s Retired Surfer Bar in the Warehouse District, says beefing up the amount of inventory was a must.
She’s talking about beer, of course.
"We actually are going so above and beyond what we normally do because we know we're going to have people starting at 10:00 in the morning, and going all the way through, and it doesn't stop,” Schumacher said. “We were here until almost 4:00 in the morning after the NFC Championship game."
And most agree, Super Bowl Sunday will lead to another sluggish Monday -- as Saints fans live the moment to the fullest.
"We've seen good times. We've seen bad times. We've suffered through Katrina, and this is just a boost to our spirits, and it makes it kind of all worthwhile," Bernhardt said.
