As the entire campus and downtown area prepare for the seventh annual Bulldog Bash tonight, Cotton District area restaurants are at the end of a week-long journey of preparation and expectation.
About 30,000 people flocked to the Cotton District last year for Bulldog Bash, and the Student Association is expecting the same number of people this year, SA co-director of external events Tyler Stacy said.
“It’s probably one of [the restaurants’] biggest days of the year,” Stacy said. “It affects them in a positive way.”
Several veteran restaurants of the Cotton District will be doing business as usual as they serve thousands of Bash attendees.
Kellie Taylor, assistant manager of Bulldog Deli, said the restaurant opened in the late ’80s and has been a part of every Bulldog Bash since it began seven years ago. The restaurant has been preparing all week for the huge event.
“We’re going to stay open later than our normal hours,” she said.
While also serving food, Bulldog Deli will sell beer from a beer cart located on the left side of the Deli parking lot near the patio. The cart will also be close to one of the stage locations.
Taylor has worked at the restaurant for several years and even worked the beer cart last year, which she said was quite an experience.
“It’s hectic, but it’s fun,” she said.
Another Bulldog Bash veteran, the Cotton District Grill, which opened more than 15 years ago, will be serving food during the evening. The restaurant will also have a Budweiser trailer located in the parking lot, assistant manager Jason Shockey said.
“During dinnertime, there are people basically lined up out the door,” he said. “We’ve already started preparing food items.”
In the past, the Grill has hired security guards for the evening, but the last couple of years, it has not been necessary, Shockley said. Since every manager will be on duty, the restaurant has stopped hiring security guards.
He said Bulldog Bash has been a special help to restaurants in the Cotton District as well.
“Last year, we had a record day in sales,” he added.
Some new restaurants in the area will be experiencing Bulldog Bash for the first time, but they will not be going into the event unprepared.
Jackie Baxter, general manager of Bin612, said her restaurant opened during the last school year.
“This is our first football season,” Baxter said.
Baxter said they will be using their experience with Super Bulldog Weekend last April as a reference point for preparing for Bulldog Bash. During the evening, they expect a much larger drinking crowd, so they will be putting beer carts on the patio, which will be close to the main stage. This will help keep the crowd from overwhelming the bar inside.
John Fontaine, general manager and co-owner of Up Your Alley Tamales and Margaritas which opened in November, said the restaurant will mainly be focusing on drinks during the event.
“What we do mainly is the frozen drinks,” Fontaine said. “We will have a Coors Light beer cart right by the place.”
The restaurant will serve food during the day but will only serve drinks tonight.
“We’re pretty much trying to focus on getting the process simplified,” Fontaine said.
He said he looks forward to the event and hopes everything flows well.
“We’ll be introducing ourselves to a lot of new people,” he said.