Playoff Hockey Means Big Business In Detroit

DETROIT (WWJ) - As the Red Wings go, so go many downtown Detroit bars and restaurants every spring. For many business owners, a Detroit a playoff run would mean big business.

At Cheli's Chile downtown, operations manager Doug Laethem says opening night for the playoffs will pack the house.

"Oh, yeah. It's like ten times more, and it's probably more than that," Laethem said.

"We'll go from a normal Red Wings game during the season and we'll pull in X amount of money. And during the playoffs, though, that's X times ten at least," he said.

At Cobo Joes on West Congress, General Manager Jimmy Britt says they literally rely on the Red Wings. Like Cheli's, Britt says his business sees up to a ten-fold increase in customers come playoff time.

"We're so close to the arena... as they go, we go," Britt said.

"Thank goodness we're so close to the Red Wings and we get as much business as we can from them.  They make us as we are," he said.

Even though they're a bit farther away from the Joe, Tom's Oyster Bar on East Jefferson also sees a dramatic increase in business during the Stanley Cup playoffs.

General Manager Dan Cole said Wednesday night will be crazy.

"Reservations -- they've already been calling up and things are filling up tonight, especially. And, as they get deeper into it, we just get busier and busier," he said.

You can catch all the playoff action beginning at 6:40 p.m., Wednesday, on 97.1-FM The Ticket.