Businesses Prep for NYE Boost

Liquor stores and restaurants get ready for a surge of weekend customers

On New Year’s Eve weekend, Kegs & Barrels of Plano sees a major increase in sales.

“We probably do 50 to 60 percent more business,” said Susan Carnahan.
While the restaurant industry is accustomed to buying in bulk, Carnahan said many of her individual customers are also tapping into that trend.
“We have a huge number of kegs that go out on this weekend, both Friday and Saturday,” said Carnahand.
During a downtick in the economy, Carnahan said people realize it is significantly cheaper to celebrate at home.  That has turned into a large increase in sales for her business.
“The recession has worked almost to our advantage because people are not going out to restaurants and bars and spending as much money.”
However, this year, the restaurant and champagne industries are once again seeing signs of life.
According to the U.S. Champagne Bureau, after several years of decline in the market, Americans are once again breaking out the bubbly.
They report shipments to the U.S. increased by 22 percent, comparing the first half of 2010 to the same time this year.
In the meantime, at Jasper’s Restaurant in Plano, they say the fact that the holiday falls over the weekend means they’re busier than ever.
“We’re overbooked. I’m borrowing chairs, I’m borrowing tables,” said general manager Brian Brice. “We’ve got a couple of hundred bottles of champagne in today ... we’re bringing it in by the truckload.”
In the last big push for sales in 2011, businesses are hoping to end the year on a positive note.
“We want it to be as successful as possible,” Carnahan said.
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