UA-area business, students prepare for potentially wet weekend

The University of Arizona’s Family Weekend football game Saturday typically brings thousands of fans and families to Tucson, boosting business for nearby bars and restaurants. But this year’s forecast of heavy rain has some wondering if the crowds will hold up.

For junior Chaz McNellis, Family Weekend means more than just football. “We’re coming out, we’re supporting our school,” he said, adding that he’ll be taking his young child to the game.

Still, the weather is already changing some plans.

McNellis said his mother, who traveled to Tucson for the weekend from their home in the Las Vegas area, decided to skip the game. “She likes football but she wouldn’t be that into it,” he said. “So she’s just gonna stay at home.”

That could be a sign of things to come for businesses surrounding campus. Restaurants and bars often count on Family Weekend as one of the busiest events of the fall.

“Usually it’s some of our biggest weekends,” said Randall Lopez, bar manager at Cheba Hut, located just blocks from Arizona Stadium. “We usually staff up like crazy, we have all our specials going on. But it’s where we depend on a lot of our income for the semester.”

With the National Weather Service calling for the potential of torrential rainfall in southern Arizona, Lopez said the restaurant is preparing to adapt. “We got a big dining room to accommodate a lot of people from the overflow of the rain, and we have these hooded awnings over here too,” he said.

For McNellis, the storm clouds might not be all bad news. “It could also draw them to go indoors and maybe just hang out in there,” he said. “Instead of going out to the football game with their friends, people might just go eat.”

Lopez said Cheba Hut will be fully staffed Saturday, but will adjust staffing levels if severe weather keeps crowds away.