Mom-and-pop pizza shops across Mid-Michigan are gearing up for Super Bowl Sunday.
WKAR News called pizza shops across Mid-Michigan to see how they’re preparing for one of the busiest days of the year.
Owners and managers say they started scheduling extra staff and stocking up on supplies weeks ago, preparing for a surge of orders before and after the game between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks.
At Barnhill’s Westside Deli in Mason, manager Amber Woodbury says her team is already lined up for Sunday, with extra ingredients on hand, including ham, pepperoni, cheese and pizza sauce.
“We’re very excited about the Super Bowl,” Woodbury said. “It’s a big money-making day for the business, but it’s also a really good way for people who haven’t been here before to come try us.”
Michigan ranks second in the country for pizza demand on Super Bowl Sunday, based on Google search data analyzed over the past 10 years. That puts the state behind Delaware and ahead of Pennsylvania.
Barnhill’s has served the Mason area for the past 53 Super Bowls. Mason is home to more than 8,300 residents.
On Sunday, workers are expected to spread about 15 pounds of pepperoni, compared with five pounds on a typical day, and shred an extra 50 pounds of cheese.
Customers also love chicken wings. Woodbury ordered four extra boxes, each containing 150 wings.
Barnhill’s crew will make 50 to 80 pizzas before the game even starts and expects to sell more than the 100 to 130 pizzas sold last Super Bowl.
In East Lansing, Bell’s Greek Pizza owner Habib Jarwan began stocking up for Super Bowl LX two weeks ago. His shop has served the East Lansing and Michigan State University communities since the Green Bay Packers won the first Super Bowl in 1967.
About 50,000 people live in East Lansing year-round, with another 50,000 students on the Michigan State University campus during the school year.
To feed fans on Sunday, Jarwan ordered a dozen 25-pound cases of pepperoni and more than three dozen 30-pound cases of cheese.
He also stocked his freezer with green peppers, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes and other vegetables, along with pepperoni, ham, bacon, sausage and other meats.
Jarwan’s workers will make about 200 pizzas the night before the game and staff three shifts on Sunday. He plans to keep Bell’s open at least an extra hour.
“Hopefully everybody will be safe, and we’ll have no problems in town,” Jarwan said. “Everybody should have fun, but have fun safely.”
In Munith, a town of about 2,700 residents northeast of Jackson, Big Chuck’s Pizza co-owner Jesse Fowler said he may bring in an extra person on Sunday to help with orders.
He also plans to order extra pizza dough and sauce and may offer a game-day special.
The shop is already busy on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, Fowler said, and also serves customers from Stockbridge, Jackson, Leslie and nearby towns.
“We’re already pretty busy, but it will be busier than normal,” he said. “It might fluctuate with a big game like that, but it might not be much different than a typical day.”
Super Bowl LX kicks off Sunday at 6:30 p.m.
