Downtown bars, restaurants scoring with huge assist from Jets

The Winnipeg Jets aren’t the only ones who are winning amid the NHL club’s extended playoff run, which is set to continue with another home whiteout Wednesday night.

It’s been a boon to certain businesses — bars and restaurants, in particular — while flooding downtown with thousands of hockey fans, boosting energy and morale and showcasing the city to audiences around the world.

“Any time they are winning, there’s more confidence and pride in the city,” said Dwight Benson, general manager of the Elephant & Castle Pub and Restaurant at 340 St. Mary Ave., a block south of Canada Life Centre. “We’ve been full with a lineup outside (on game days), so it’s great for business. We’re just excited to see a long playoff run.”

Businesses and fans are gearing up for Game 1 of the Jets’ second-round clash with the Dallas Stars, after Sunday’s thrilling Game 7, double-overtime win to end the St. Louis Blues’ season.

Winnipeg will host the first two games — Wednesday and Friday, both starting at 8:30 p.m. — and, if necessary, games 5 and 7. The Jets are in the second round for the first time since 2021.

Each home game will see more than 15,000 fans fill the downtown arena, and 5,000 more will cram into whiteout parties on Donald Street.

“We’ve been full with a lineup outside (on game days), so it’s great for business. We’re just excited to see a long playoff run.”–Dwight Benson, general manager of the Elephant & Castle

Others will watch on screens inside bars or restaurants such as the Elephant & Castle, which has additional staff working on game days. The pub extends its hours when the games have later-than-usual start times.

Jets-themed decorations have been put up inside. Shot specials are delivered on a miniature hockey stick. Slogans, including “Go Jets Go,” and caricatures of Jets players are painted on patio windows outside.

They are among dozens of commercial windows painted by artist Rick Eastland since the playoffs began.

The Jets’ Game 7 win brought an uptick in customers. On Tuesday, he painted windows from about 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. before heading to his usual job as a courier.

After his shift, he expected to resume painting until 10 p.m. The Jets’ run is morphing into a unifying experience for the city, he said.

“The excitement is building,” Eastland said. “It’s transitioning into something the community rallies around.”

At Devil May Care Brewing Co., business has been brisk during home and away game watch parties. The brewery and taproom, at 155-A Fort St., had to ramp up beer production due to increased sales.

“We’re brewing faster than we normally would right now,” co-owner Colin Koop said.

The taproom is bringing in food trucks for the upcoming home games.

Koop said Winnipeggers can sometimes “get down” on the city as a whole, so he’s pleased to see people so enthusiastic.

The Jets’ home playoff games have has evening puck drops, when most retail stores near the arena are closed.

“It’s great for downtown and the city. I think it really is building on the pro-Canadian movement, our revived nationalism.”–Aimee Peake, owner of Bison Books

Aimee Peake, who owns Bison Books at 424 Graham Ave., said she hopes the rise in foot traffic will help people discover businesses such as hers.

“I do think that people coming downtown, who don’t normally come downtown, for the whiteout parties and the excitement that’s going on are becoming familiar with the area, and might walk by,” she said.

“It’s great for downtown and the city. I think it really is building on the pro-Canadian movement, our revived nationalism. This gives us two reasons to rally and support each other, and get together and celebrate some of the things that we identify with.”

Kate Fenske, executive director of the Downtown Winnipeg Business Improvement Zone, said some fans are discovering businesses they weren’t aware of.

“Overall, it’s a huge win for businesses as the Jets keep winning, which we hope they do,” she said.

Businesses and staff are focusing on providing great service because they want customers to return in the future, Fenske said.

Downtown Winnipeg BIZ’s enviro team is paying special attention to litter pickup, storefront pressure-washing and other tasks to get the area looking “as best as we possibly can get it,” she said.

Downtown resident Gary Jarvis has noticed cleaner and, on game nights, far busier streets, which he was encouraged to see.

“A lot of people are around, which is a good thing,” he said. “Sometimes around this area, after 5 p.m. or 6 p.m., it’s no man’s land.”

Jarvis said he hopes the experience changes perceptions about downtown safety and brings more attention to social issues in the area.

A long playoff run could bring long-term benefits to the city. Economic Development Winnipeg’s aim is to attract visitors, investments, conferences and events.

“How our city is perceived by those clients, by those decision-makers, the Jets’ playoff run has an impact on putting Winnipeg on the map,” said Natalie Thiesen, the agency’s vice-president of tourism. “It allows us to facilitate those positive conversations about what makes Winnipeg a great place to invest, to visit, to meet.

“It allows us to spark a conversation about… our people, the pride and excitement, and how passionate Winnipeggers are not just about hockey, but the arts and other elements that make our community great.”

Economic Development Winnipeg hired 10 social media content creators from key markets in Canada and the U.S. to promote the city during the playoffs.

The posts had more than 58 million views and an “earned media” value of almost $2 million, Thiesen said.

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Chris Kitching
Reporter

Chris Kitching is a general assignment reporter at the Free Press. He began his newspaper career in 2001, with stops in Winnipeg, Toronto and London, England, along the way. After returning to Winnipeg, he joined the Free Press in 2021, and now covers a little bit of everything for the newspaper. Read more about Chris.

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