Milwaukee businesses, fans brace for Eastern Conference Finals celebrations – WTMJ-TV
MILWAUKEE — With the Bucks just one win away from being crowned the Eastern Conference Champions and punching a ticket to The Finals, bars and restaurants across Milwaukee are getting ready for a potential championship celebration Saturday night.
“We’ve got people coming in early to be prepared for the rush… We’ve got extra silverware rolled, we’ve got extra fruit cut, extra beer, extra liquor stocked for the weekend,” said Oak Barrel Public House owner Andrew Ruka.
If the Bucks win game 6, Ruka expects the bar will be packed until closing time.
“It’s going to be crazier than it’s ever been, even pre-covid,” Ruka said about the possibility of a Bucks’ win.
But it’s not just the restaurants near the Deer District that are getting ready to welcome fans. Woody’s, Milwaukee’s only gay sports bar, is expecting a strong turnout for the game.
“We’ve had good crowds all throughout the playoffs,” said Woody’s Owner Alan Kettering. “People will be crazy, they’ll be crazy. It’ll be pretty awesome.”
Kettering said the long playoff run has also been a welcome boost for the bar following the pandemic.
“We can use all the business you want to throw at us,” he said.
And while the atmosphere across Milwaukee will be electric and the Deer District will be packed for game 6, Bucks season ticket holder Kyle Hopfensperger said that just wasn’t going to be enough for him and booked a last minute plane ticket to Atlanta when we woke up on Saturday.
“I was just fussing around on my computer, so I just did it. I booked my flight, I found my ticket. I’m like second row in the upper level,” Hopfensperger said.
He doesn’t have a hotel booked yet, but he wasn’t worried about that yet. He said the most important part was getting to the game to cheer on the Bucks.
However, he does have plenty of Milwaukee pride packed in his luggage.
“It feels special, it’s bringing the city together. You walk around with your bucks gear on and people are pointing at you. It feels like we’re one unit in this,” Hopfensperger said.
An no matter if you’re watching in Walker’s Point, at the Deer District or even in Atlanta, you’re sure to hear the “Bucks in six” chant.