GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Green Bay Packers will play nine home games at Lambeau Field in 2024, one more than the typical eight home game schedule. That has area businesses gearing up for a business boost.
Julia Bernard is the manager of Kroll’s in Green Bay and has been working at the restaurant for over 23 years. She said a lot of work goes into getting ready for game days.
“The best thing about game day is I don’t have to pay attention to how much meat I throw on. I just have to count it when it goes in the pan,” said Bernard. “I would say for this game at least 600 burgers alone and at least 250 brats.”
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Bernard said game days are her favorite time of the year. She said that’s one reason the extra home game is a welcome addition.
“It’s just one more week of the extra bulking up the orders, the extra soda that we have to bring in,” said Bernard. “It’s just one extra week so that the amount of games doesn’t really change how we do.”
Discover Green Bay content manager Lydia Andersen said a typical visitor in town for a Packers game spends an average of two nights in the area.
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“Each home game we see about a $15 million impact for Brown County,” said Andersen. “That’s a great impact on not only the stadium and the surrounding businesses, but everywhere in Green Bay. Our restaurants, our golf courses, our casinos, our attractions, Bay Beach, things like that.”
(Spectrum News 1/Geno Perez)
“That people aren’t getting crabby. The food isn’t taking too long. That’s why we do an outside hopper, too,” said Bernard. “We try to take some of the blow off the inside of the restaurant. We do tables and chairs and a band outside. So I guess our main goal is to feed everyone as quick as possible so everyone can have a good time.”