Bills won't be the only ones feeling impact of game moving Sunday

The amount of snow that fell throughout Friday in Orchard Park may have justified the Buffalo Bills moving their home game Sunday to Detroit.

But it doesn’t make it any less jarring for local businesses and parking lot owners, along with the people who typically work the contests who depend on the money they make during these games.

There are many who stand to lose out on quite a bit of money with the Bills moving their 1 p.m. game against the Cleveland Browns to Ford Field.

But the biggest loser stands to be the Bills. The team not only forfeits its home field advantage, but also, at the very least, will have to reimburse more than 70,000 ticket holders for a game that won't be played here.

With the average season ticket costing $113 and the average general admission ticket costing $92, moving the game means the loss of somewhere in the vicinity of $8 million in ticket revenue.

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Restaurants and bars neighboring the stadium also stand to lose out on the revenue from gameday, on top of having to be closed Friday due to the driving ban in the area and likely again on Saturday, as the area will need to clear out several feet of snow from the lake-effect storm.

Brian Smaszcz of Big Tree Inn said Bills home games usually bring in fans throughout the long weekend – not just on Sundays.

It is not only a big blow to his establishment, but also its Abbott Road neighbors Prohibition 2020, O’Neils and Danny’s South. Sales can be as much as 10 times higher during gameday weekends than on a typical weekday, Smaszcz said.

“This is a killer for all of us. … We wait for these games all year,” he said. “The worst part about this is that you prepare for these things by sending a bunch of checks out and buying a bunch of products.”

For some business owners and Highmark Stadium neighbors, not having a game in Orchard Park on Sunday is a bit of a relief.

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Eric Matwijow, who owns popular private parking lot Hammer’s Lot across from the stadium, said it takes away some of the anxiety that he and his neighbors would have felt trying to quickly clear so much snow from their properties.

He’s had a good year with Bills parking back at the stadium after the pandemic and several concerts during the summer. Still, he and others who park vehicles for football games stand to lose thousands of dollars in revenue.

“I think the Bills made the right decision,” Matwijow said. “Unfortunately, as a businessman and property owner, there’s a financial hit, but in a way, it has taken a little bit of the stress off us, not having to hire anyone to get everything cleaned out.”

They’re not the only ones who will lose out.

There are Erie County Sheriff’s troopers and Orchard Park police officers who will be unable to earn overtime working games, but they may be allocated in different ways this weekend with the storm socking the area. The Orchard Park Police Department and Erie County Sheriff’s Office both did not return an email asking for a comment.

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Also, there’s Bills stadium, parking and security staff and employees from Bills concessionaire Delaware North unable to earn money working the game.

Bills officials have said the game was moved due to public safety concerns, and the decision was made in consultation with local and state authorities and the NFL.

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“Our sole concern was the safety of our players, our fans, our community, and making sure we did not divert any resources that the community will need coming this weekend,” said Ron Racciua, Bills executive vice president and COO.

The Bills could not be reached for further comment.

Bills season ticketholders and those who purchased single game tickets through the Bills ticket office, Ticketmaster and on the NFL Ticket Exchange will be reimbursed.

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But the Bills losses go far beyond ticket sales. They also will lose out on parking and concession revenue and will have to absorb the added expenses of traveling and staying in Detroit.

Gate receipts are shared between the home team and NFL. Two-thirds goes to the home team, and the other one-third goes to the league.

Tickets for Sunday’s game in Detroit went on sale Friday for Bills season ticket holders looking to travel for the contest. After that, general admission sales will occur, helping the team gain back some of those lost funds.

“In the context of an entire season of revenue for an NFL team, the amount lost is quite modest,” said Marc Ganis, a sports consultant and NFL marketing expert. “What is most impacted is the competitive advantage the Bills have playing in front of their incredible fan base.”

Smaszcz of Big Tree Inn said he never expected the game to be moved, but also didn’t anticipate the weather being as bad.

“After trying to get to work today, I absolutely understand,” said Smaszcz, whose 14-minute commute to work that morning turned into an hour and a half.

Even if the snow stops in Orchard Park overnight Friday, as forecast, the Bills would have had trouble finding enough people to shovel out the stadium and its seats.

Matwijow acknowledged he would have needed extra help from local plow drivers and, possibly, from out-of-town plow drivers to get his lot cleared.

“You can’t get all angry and depressed about it because it’s out of your control. It doesn’t do any good,” he said.

Smaszcz feels most for his employees and workers at other local establishments who won’t be able to work during a typically busy and lucrative time.

“The staff counts on these days,” he said. “My wife and I have other professions, so it’s not going to hurt us as much as it is them.”

The next step for the Bills and some of the local businesses around the stadium will be checking to see what losses may be covered by insurance.

Teams often have business interruption insurance, but it may not apply for single games, Ganis said.

Meanwhile, Smaszcz said he’ll be in touch with his insurer, and he will try to work with his food and beverage vendors.

“Nobody is able to answer us today, so we don’t know,” he said. “We’re just kind of on hold right now.”