Football Championship Game Means Extra Dollars for Local Businesses

manOne wouldn’t think that auto body would be a business to profit off of the Super Bowl, but Danilchuk Auto Body in Eastie gets the spotlight each and every title chase with their unique displays. Revere residents Eric (right) and Rob (left) Danilchuk, along with employee Joe Marshall truly outdid themselves this time with a display that includes New York Giant Quarterback Eli Manning roasting on a spit. In addition to the Danilchuk’s, retailers all over the City are reporting increases in sales for television, sound systems and catering.

The New England Patriots’ Super Bowl march this year has meant business for a lot of local retailers, and this week businesses said they have seen a Super Bowl run on everything from televisions to catering to…auto body.

Revere residents Eric and Rob Danilchuk – who operate Danilchuk Auto Body in East Boston – may not the typical business owners one might think you would see interest due to the Super Bowl, but it has become just that for them.

Nearly 10 years ago, the brothers decided to decorate the outside of their shop – along busy Rt. 1A – with a sports themed car display.

Since then, as Boston sports teams have had successes, they’ve had dozens of displays for the Patriots, Red Sox, Celtics and Bruins.

However, this Super Bowl run has really topped it off.

Outside, a mannequin is dressed up in a New York Giants Eli Manning uniform, and it turns on a motorized spit that is placed above what looks like a car fire.

A fake fire and red lights shine upon a wrecked car with the New York Giants logo, while a stout pickup decked out in Patriots colors and logos crashed  head on.

There’s even a motor that curious onlookers can turn on so that the Manning mannequin will turn circles on the spit above the fake fire.

And it’s attracting quite a bit of attention to their business.

“All the news stations in Boston called us before we even started working on this one,” said Eric. “We had to think of how to top all the other ones we’ve done, so we thought of this. It took about a week to do it all and our fabricators really did a great job getting it together.”

Said Rob, “I think people remember us for these types of things we do. They drive by and see it or see us on the news. We get e-mails all the time saying that they want to ask a non-car related question about the display outside the business.”

In the more traditional Super Bowl business crowd, Beach Sales at Mahoney Circle reported that television and sound system sales have been really jumping off the shelves.

The popular electronics store said that they re-did their showroom two weeks ago in anticipation of something big, and it has paid off as shoppers have visited the store to upgrade their televisions or sound systems prior to the Super Bowl.

“Now, the bigger TVs are getting bigger,” said Howie Freedman of Beach Sales. “A 27-inch used to be the standard for tube TVs, and that moved up to 42-inches with the flat screens. Now, the standard TV size is up to a 46-inch or 50-inch television. That’s just the standard. A lot of people want the 60- or 65-inch models. We are absolutely getting people coming in for the Super Bowl and we’re ready for it. It’s been going gang-busters this whole week and we expect it to continue right through the weekend.”

Freedman said Beach Sales has its own installer who is a licensed electrician, and they’ve instructed him to keep installation slots open all week and on Saturday.

“People are getting more and more into sound systems now because the TVs are thinner and the speakers in them aren’t as good,” said Freedman. “The number one Super Bowl TV right now is a choice between two 60-inch models – one an LG and one a Panasonic. Each are $1,299 apiece and that’s amazing because a 60-inch TV that wasn’t as good a quality was up around $6,000 a few years ago.”

And once the eyes have been satisfied, then it’s time to turn to the stomachs.

With nearly everyone planning some type of Super Bowl party or gathering, catering services have seen a spike in business around Revere.

Kelly’s on the Beach said that catering orders have begun to really pick up in what is traditionally a slow time for business.

“All of our locations do catering and all of them have gotten an uptick in catering orders for the big game,” said Dean Murphy, director of operations for Kelly’s. “We have plenty of finger foods on our catering menu, but the chicken wings are our biggest order. The Clam Chowder is always popular as well as the reliable roast beef sandwiches.”

Murphy said all the locations, including Revere, are taking catering orders and could fulfill most orders with 24-hour notice.

At the two Revere Subway Sandwich locations, owner Harry Patel said that sales are picking up for their Super Bowl Party Platters, which serves 7-10 people for $24.99.

Patel said that the Broadway or Mahoney Circle locations are currently taking orders for Sunday, with any kind of sandwich available.

For a spicier Super Bowl, Margarita’s Cantina at the Comfort Inn on American Legion Highway has a special take-out menu in the works for the Super Bowl.

Additionally, they will also have the televisions on and the restaurant and bar open for guests to enjoy the game in comfort.

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