C. Oregon businesses prep for busy Super Bowl LII

The clock is ticking down toward Super Bowl Sunday, and Central Oregon businesses are preparing for it.

Businesses say this year will be different than last — more specifically, there won’t be tons of snow on the ground.

That means people will be able to go outside and grill, like on a proper football Sunday. A few local grocery stores are expecting this year to go much better than last year in terms of meat sales.

“We felt that this year, with the nice weather, 60 degrees-ish, that barbecues were really going to take off, because in years past, that is a big part of it is the barbecues and the smokers,” Newport Market General Manager Joe Anzaldo said Thursday. “That really dropped off last year, so we’re anticipating a big incline this year.”

Pizza places are also prepping for the big game, in anticipation of those who want to cook less and watch more of the game. They said business on Super Bowl Sunday is not very predictable.

“Historically, it’s a random day,” Pizza Mondo employee Nicole Elkhorn said. “A lot of people plan on Super Bowl Sunday to do potlucks and tacos and nachos and chili, so they have other things planned other than ordering pizza for large groups of people, but we definitely do have some business.”

Elkhorn also mentioned the difficulty in getting deliveries out during last year’s Super Bowl because of the snow. She’s unlikely to face that problem this Sunday.