GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Fans of Michigan Wolverine football are deciding where is the best place to watch Monday's National Championship. If you can't afford to see the game in person many local businesses are gearing up for the game.
"The atmosphere is always big when the local teams are doing well, it brings in business and we have a good atmosphere inside."
With the Wolverines being in the National Championship, Vitale's is ready for Monday night. They are expecting a big crowd and many take out orders. So if you're planning on pizza, it's recommended you call ahead and schedule a pick-up time. Salvo Vitale thinks people gravitate to sports bars because of the communal experience.
"I think some of it has to do with the camaraderie, everyone is cheering for the same team, high-fiving people, getting excited cheering them on."
Now if Vitale's screens are not big enough for you, Celebration Cinema is showing the game on their big screens. The North South and Studio Park locations in Kent County along with the locations in Muskegon and Portage are participating. Tickets are 20 bucks and include a small popcorn and other concession specials.
Eric Kuiper from Celebration Cinema says with their stadium seating, seeing a game here is just like being there.
"It's as close as you are going to get in many ways to actually being at the event, and when there is a big game like this, it is more fun to scream and shout and moan and groan with a bunch of people, you know, you get wrapped up into the action of the game. Obviously, you got the biggest screen, the biggest sound, it gets you engulfed in the entire experience."
Now if you don't want to leave your house or if you are hosting a party Detroit Wing Company has you covered. On New Year's Day, the store opened for the Rose Bowl selling several thousand wings. They expect Monday to be just as busy.
Franchise owner Philip Georgeson says, " It will be much like the Super Bowl. The same thing from the time we open until the time we close it's going to be very busy, an extremely big day for us, and we turn it into a lot of fun, It can be stressful; it does take it's toll a little bit but we get it done and the people really enjoy it."
Just like Vitale', DWC recommends scheduling food pick-up for a specific time.
"Each week you got through the interest builds up, so by the time we got to the semifinal, we were seeing orders for a Michigan game that we weren't seeing earlier in the year because that much more interest."
Vitlae says" First time Michigan teams played in the championship game in quite some time, so we're hopefully going to have a lot of good crowds in here, a lot of cheering and having a lot of fun."
Kickoff for the National Championship is 7:45 Monday night.
