Austin bars and restaurants reported a weekend jump in customers as the University of Texas men’s and women’s basketball teams both advanced to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16.
Businesses closest to campus and the Moody Center said the tournament crowds arrived during a period that is typically slower because many students and families leave town for spring break, with watch parties and game-day gatherings filling seats from the arena area to the Drag. The women’s team played in Austin at Moody Center, drawing foot traffic into nearby blocks, while the men’s team’s tournament games also prompted fans to meet up at neighborhood bars to watch.
At Scholz Garten, 1607 San Jacinto Blvd., assistant manager Creighton McFarlin said the weekend crowds helped compensate for the seasonal dip. “This one has really made up our weekend,” said Creighton McFarlin, assistant manager at Scholz Garten. “This was painted in burnt orange about 15 minutes ago,” said Creighton McFarlin, assistant manager at Scholz Garten. “It’s huge for staff, it’s huge for the community, it’s incredible to have a busy day like we are having today. I was looking at the numbers, we did our best day all week,” said Creighton McFarlin, assistant manager at Scholz Garten.
The crowd effect extended beyond the immediate arena area, with businesses that rely on campus traffic describing stronger-than-expected tournament afternoons even as UT’s spring break reduced the normal student base. At 1972 Pub, 2530 Guadalupe St., front-of-house manager Peeps Barlow said the bar saw a notable increase. “Sunday afternoons, they’re pretty steady. Not quite the gigantic mass that it usually is for the tournament. So yeah, definitely just a huge uptick,” said Peeps Barlow, the front-of-house manager at 1972 Pub. Fans said the runs by both teams helped drive the turnout and spending, with Austin residents Valerie Gonzalez and Jose Valencia describing their expectations for the tournament’s next weekend. “I think they can go all the way, to tell you the truth. They got the momentum going. The guys won yesterday. We’re just trying to keep that going,” said Valerie Gonzalez and Jose Valencia, Austinites. “They’re doing their thing. The girls are doing their thing,” said Valerie Gonzalez and Jose Valencia, Austinites.
The immediate bump in sales and staffing needs reflects a broader pattern in Austin, where major University of Texas sports events can ripple through nearby hospitality corridors and beyond. According to the Texas Athletics economic impact report published by Texas Longhorns, athletics-related activity generated an estimated $728 million in annual economic output in Austin during the 2013–2014 period, supported thousands of jobs, and produced more than $72 million in state and local tax revenue, with visitor spending reaching restaurants and retailers across more than 316 business sectors. Horns Illustrated has also reported that the economic effects extend beyond ticket sales, citing ongoing operations, capital investment and visitor spending as drivers that reach far past game-day venues. The effect is familiar to bar operators during other UT sports seasons; Hoodline has documented game-day surges tied to football weekends, including visiting-fan turnout that lifts food-and-beverage sales.
Moody Center’s role as an event hub was part of the weekend’s foot-traffic picture, with the women’s tournament games bringing fans into nearby blocks before and after tipoff. “It’s a haven for students … from sports to entertainment, you have (it all) at your fingertips,” said the Daily Texan in prior coverage of the arena’s opening. In a development first covered in /Womens-History-Month-in-Austin-How-a-National-Observance-Became-a-Local-Celebrationand-Why-That-Matters-Now, the outlet has noted how March programming in Austin often draws broad audiences; business owners said the women’s tournament crowds added another source of neighborhood movement near the arena.
Tournament play continues this week, with Texas’ men’s team scheduled to play Thursday and the women’s team set to play Saturday in Fort Worth, leaving Austin businesses watching whether the Sweet 16 run will keep generating watch-party traffic. The Texas Athletics economic impact report published by Texas Longhorns has cited major home-event weekends as a driver of hospitality spending—estimating that an average home football game brings about 80,800 visitors and about $63 million in economic activity—and some bar managers said the basketball tournament’s next round could extend that spending through additional game windows.
Austin’s spring calendar routinely tests how quickly the city’s hospitality sector can shift from slow stretches to sudden surges, particularly around school breaks and event-heavy weeks. As previously reported in /Rodeo-Austin-and-BBQ-Austin-return-in-March-with-carnival-fun-live-entertainment-and-family-friendly-pricing, March brings multiple crowd-drawing events, and operators say tournament games can act as an additional, weatherproof reason for customers to go out.
For bars and restaurants near campus, the Sweet 16 weekend offered a counterweight to spring break patterns that can thin the usual customer base, and managers said they were preparing schedules around the next Texas tipoffs. In earlier coverage of neighborhood turnout around accessible events, including /Mueller-families-find-free-close-to-home-holiday-options-this-week, the outlet has reported that convenience and timing can move crowds; this week, businesses said the combination of a home-site women’s game and citywide watch parties created a similar pull for nearby commerce. “As the football team goes, as goes business,” said Hoodline in prior reporting on UT game-day spikes. “We had Kentucky a couple of weeks ago which I didn’t know there were so many Kentucky fans in Austin,” said Hoodline in the same report.
