SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — With thousands of people downtown for the Holiday Bowl, bars and restaurants are welcoming the extra foot traffic.
"[It] just gives downtown a little more life, a little more spirit this time of year," Anna Heydari.
Heydari is the Bar Manager at The Blind Burro near Petco Park.
Winter is typically slow for businesses in the area during the baseball off-season.
But, on Wednesday, USC and Louisville fans filed into bars and restaurants near Petco Park.
The Blind Burro offered special USC-themed beer.
Heydari said they don't just see a boost on the day of the game, but also from people who get into town a day early and those who stay after to explore the city.
"Business-wise, we need it badly. It all dies down so quickly, and we just hang on for dear life, so the Holiday Bowl comes along and really helps us out and keeps the staff motivated as well," she said.
At Socal Tap, the restaurant was decked out in everything Louisville Cardinals for a private event.
"We're going to have a house full of Louisville fans for the pre-game, and after, we'll be prepared for the post-game rush," owner, Brant Crenshaw said.
This is the second year Petco Park has hosted the Holiday Bowl.
Crenshaw said while the business is great, he also enjoys the atmosphere it brings to downtown.
"I've been to a lot of Holiday Bowls back in the day when it was the Murph and Qualcomm, and for that to come and be in our backyard now at the restaurant... I mean just the excitement and energy that it brings," he said.
