KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Local bars are preparing for the thousands of fans that will crowd their beer gardens this weekend as the Vols face off against the Crimson Tide.
Schulz Brau and Yee-Haw Brewing are two north Knoxville hotspots on Tennessee gamedays.
Yee Haw said on gamedays, they serve anywhere from 2,000 to 3,000 guests.
“Game days are fantastic for our business here at Yee-Haw," Patrick Donoghue, bar manager, said. "I just love seeing the sea of orange take over our beer garden.”
Schulz Brau said their preparation for gamedays starts the week before to ensure the bar is fully stocked and staffed.
“We’re going to be able to employ almost 40 people within our brewery, as opposed to about half that on a normal Saturday," Ben Oliver, general manager, said. "We go from one kitchen to two kitchens, from two bars to four bars. We literally double everything we’re going to do.”
But both businesses said it's special to see the excitement within Vol Nation.
“I’ve never been in an area where regardless of where you went to school, where you grew up, if you’re from this area, you are a Vol. It’s a nation. It’s cool to see,” Oliver said.
The Vols will face Alabama at 3:30 p.m. EST on Oct. 19 in Neyland Stadium. You can watch the game on ABC.