Glendale businesses ready to serve, entertain during Cardinals opener

GLENDALE, Ariz. — It’s that time of year again: Football season!

With the Arizona Cardinals opening their 2015 NFL regular season against the New Orleans Saints this Sunday in Glendale, business owners in the area said they are ready to serve the high influx of fans.

John Tsailakis, general manager of Whiskey Rose Bar and Grill in the nearby Westgate Entertainment Center, said he is planning to open at 9 a.m. Sunday morning in order to accommodate the large number of customers they are expecting.

“I would assume that by 10 or 10:30 (a.m.), we’re going to have a line right out the door,” he said. “There will probably be like a 40-minute to an hour wait at that point in time.”

But the party will begin at Westgate long before the 1 p.m. kickoff — three hours, to be exact.

The free Arizona Cardinals Pre-Flight Party will feature Arizona Cardinal’s cheerleaders, a beer garden, a photo booth and fan-friendly interactive experiences.

Tsailakis said his restaurant will be ready for the party, playing NFL games across the restaurant’s 30 television screens.

“We’ll do some beer tubs, kind of like a portable bar, so that people can hang out and have a beer,” he said. “There should be a spot for everybody to see their team.”

Even without the Cardinals’ and Arizona Coyotes’ presence in Westgate, Tsailakis said he believes the area has grown immensely in popularity.

“I would say that, over the last year, Westgate itself has gotten a lot of increased traffic,” he said. “The Super Bowl might have had something to do with it, but the more and more tenants that are coming, I just think that’s made us a larger center with a lot more to do. There’s just kind of an overall buzz at Westgate.”

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