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For bar business, nothing but net

Sports bars bask in business brought by ACC championship.

By KEVIN GRAHAM
Published March 12, 2007

Lindsay Dicus and Andy Shinn celebrate UNC's victory. Photo gallery Download brackets: Men's (PDF) Women's (PDF) This call is easy: UF No. 1 ACC: North Carolina 89, N.C. State 80 Florida, Ohio St., KU, UNC get top seeds Gators take third SEC title
	[Times photo: Justin Cook]

TAMPA - One sound resonated through the downtown and Channelside district as often as the screaming basketball fans this weekend - the opening and closing of cash registers.

"It's been insane," said Amber Zimmerman, manager of Margarita Mamas at Channelside.

Travelers in town for the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament at the St. Pete Times Forum came for the games, but they also came to party. And bars and restaurants near the Forum happily obliged.

Newk's Cafe, which sits across from the Forum, only operates during events at the arena.

Manager Tom Herzhauser said since the crowds began arriving on Wednesday, Newk's has been open from 11 a.m. until business slowed down.

"They have been better than all the hockey games," Herzhauser said of the crowds, with one exception. "The Stanley Cup was something special."

By noon on Sunday, the final day of the ACC championship, the outside deck at Newk's was packed.

While Herzhauser said he noticed a slight tapering off in customers as teams were picked off during the tournament, a neighboring sports bar reported a more constant stream of business.

"It's been very, very busy," said Brandy Clutter, manager of Dave Andreychuk's Grille.

It changed its hours from serving a lunch crowd from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. to stay open later for the tournament. Clutter said last call came when the crowd died down.

"We've served lots of bloody Marys," she said.

Adding to the flow of customers has been the scalpers, Clutter said. They come in, open a tab, then work the sidewalks and double back to the bar for another drink.

Down at Channelside, the line at Hooters was out the door and the manager was busy in the kitchen, keeping up with the demand for wings.

Upstairs at Bennigan's, patrons crowded the outside bar to take in the sun and snap pictures of the Carnival cruise ship docked at the port.

A sign inside the restaurant welcomed ACC tournament fans and advertised drink specials and prizes just for them.

Kevin Graham can be reached at 813 226-3433 or kgraham@sptimes.com.

[Last modified March 12, 2007, 00:06:46]