While the 2026 NFL Draft brought a large number of people to the Northside, many local restaurants did not see an expected surge of customers during the event weekend.
“Honestly, we didn’t see much of a crowd at all,” said Lexi Bernotas, manager at The Sandwich Shoppe. “We definitely expected a little more than what we thought.”
Located only a few blocks north of Acrisure Stadium, The Sandwich Shoppe had prepared for extra business the weekend of the draft, April 23-25. The restaurant extended its usual hours until 6 p.m., up from a typical closing time of 2:30 p.m.
However, the demand for sandwiches just wasn’t there, and Bernotas said the latest the Shoppe ended up staying open during the weekend was 3 p.m., as the expected extra customers didn’t show up. She suspects the lack of business was due at least in part by locals and regulars staying out of the area during the draft for fear of huge crowds and traffic congestion.
“I think that people who actually live here got really scared and thought ‘I need to leave,’” she said.
The experience was similar over at Max’s Allegheny Tavern, located less than two miles away from the Steelers’ stadium and center of draft activities. Owner Douglas Diegelman estimated his bar had about a “quarter” of the usual weekly crowd.
“Yeah, the whole week no one was around,” he said.
Diegelman believed the sheer variety of activities and services available down at the main draft event kept crowds centered around the stadium, meaning they did not stray further into the Northside and dine or shop at the local scene.
“I think they did a really good job down there where they were doing everything,” he said. “There was a lot to do down there.”
Newly opened bar The Eastman, which held its soft opening only a week ahead of the start of the draft, had ordered extra cans of beer in preparation for a draft crowd that never manifested. Co-owner Michael Schmidt said the three days of the draft did not end up matching The Eastman’s busiest days, something he was at least partially thankful for.
“It may not have been our best weekend, but for us starting out, overall it turned out good,” he said. Schmidt said The Eastman had “ebbs and flows” in terms of traffic during the draft, which made things easier to handle for the relatively new restaurant.
In a further unexpected benefit, Schmidt said the feared parking issues caused by the draft did not occur. He had been worried staff would have difficulty parking near the East Ohio Street bar, but instead found they had “ample” parking space.
“I think the neighborhood and the city in general heeded the warning not to drive,” he said.
