AURORA | Steve Wieand won’t be camped out in front of a television set watching the Broncos on Super Bowl Sunday.
Instead, the owner of Steve’s Pizza and Ribs will likely be behind the wheel of a mohawked Volkswagen Beetle. Or with a phone pinned to his ear. Or deftly sprinkling cheese on one of his signature pies.
Like many delivery drivers around the city, Wieand is gearing up for what should be a hectic — and likely football-free — Sunday afternoon.
“It’s a busy day,” Wieand said of Super Bowl Sunday.
For delivery drivers, Super Bowl Sunday — whether the Broncos are playing or not — is always one of the most hectic days on the calendar.
Wieand said it is only rivaled by New Year’s Eve.
The most popular items will likely be pizza and chicken wings, Wieand said.
Kaitlyn Carl, a spokeswoman for GrubHub, said the delivery service is gearing up for an especially busy day on Sunday.
Last year in the Denver market, GrubHub saw pizza deliveries spike 14 percent on Super Bowl Sunday compared to a typical Sunday, she said. And wing orders saw an even bigger spike, climbing 40 percent compared to a typical Sunday.
“Diners definitely turn more toward those foods that are more sharable,” she said.
According to the National Restaurant Association, restaurants who offer delivery or carry-out can expect a busy day Sunday. In 2014, the association projected close to 50 million people would order food for takeout or delivery during the game. That’s almost one third of the 180 million people who were projected to watch the game.
But with that kind of demand, delivery experts say it’s important for customers to not only plan ahead, but to show a little extra patience when they place an order.
Carl said diners should remember that Sunday nights already are the most-popular delivery night of the week, Super Bowl or not. That means placing an order a little earlier than normal can be a big help, she said.
Wieand said if customers are looking to make a massive order — say 15 pizzas or more — they might want to call in on Saturday and give the pizza shop a heads up to allow the restaurant to be ready to deliver in time for kickoff, not sometime around the third quarter.
“It would be like a busload of people showing up at a Denny’s,” he said,
Wieand said delivery rushes are unlike going to a sit-down eatery and noticing the scrambling wait staff. On a day like Super Bowl Sunday, Wieand said it’s important for people to remember that just because they can’t see the madness doesn’t mean it’s not just as real.
“Just try to be patient and realize you aren’t the only person that’s trying to order at the same time,” he said.
As for the game, Wieand said he long ago scrapped his fondness for plopping on the couch and watching a big game. Like many in the restaurant game, he said he realizes being a big sports fan and working in the middle of games isn’t exactly compatible.
“That’s kind of part of the deal,” he said. “Unfortunately, we kind of all understand that we won’t be able to enjoy the game like everybody else does.”