DETROIT (WXYZ) — Preparations for Monday Night Football are in full swing! Fans are excited to see their Detroit Lions take on the Las Vegas Raiders at Ford Field, one of the most anticipated games of the season, and to ensure everyone has the time of their life, Downtown Detroit businesses are rolling up their sleeves.
Detroit's Buddy's Pizza is a stone's throw away from Ford Field. General Manager Nick Rye and his team are getting ready for game night.
The connection between Buddy's pizza and football goes deep. You know, a couple of brews with the guys, a couple of pies with the guys," said Rye.
But for Monday, Rye is gearing up to sell over 500 pies. That's 350 more pies in comparison to an average night.
"Probably do three or four big old mixes to support today. Everything's done from scratch," said Rye.
As for extra ingredients, Rye says they are stocked up. For instance, an additional 80 lbs of pepperoni has been ordered, along with 400 lbs of flour and cheese. Plus, 30 staff members have been put on the roster for the night compared to 17.
"Monday night football it's a completely different animal than any other Monday," said Rye.
And the same also holds for Five Iron Golf. General Manager Ryan Miller says on Monday, over 20 screens at the indoor entertainment venue will only be showing the game.
"The game is gonna be cracked up loud in here. Staff gonna be having a good time wearing Lions gear ref-type shirts to be a part of the football game, so we're gonna make it as fun as possible," said Miller.
Meanwhile, on the streets, Darius Collins and his partner Amazing Right were scouting for the best location to park their food truck.
"We're gonna have sandwiches, we are going to have smoothies so we can get that energy back to the Lions so they can go ahead and take over. That's the game plan," said Collins, We Juice.
But flying in from Florida, Brandon Bond and his wife, Niva Filius, shared with me their ultimate game plan.
"When the Lions win the Super Bowl, Brandon Bond is moving to Detroit," said Bond.
And, of course, with large crowds expected in the Downtown area for tomorrow night's game, which kicks off at 8:15 p.m., security is top of mind.
Detroit police are urging fans to be responsible. In a statement to 7 Action News, Chief James White writes:
"DPD is taking proactive measures toward ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to enjoy Monday's game.
The Department will be employing an enhanced traffic management plan and augmenting patrols in areas known for tailgating and other parties to prevent disturbances. Other strategies typically deployed over the weekend will be shifted to Monday's operations."
