KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The 2021 SEC basketball Tournament kicks off in Nashville on Wednesday.
Vanderbilt will take on Texas A&M at 7 p.m. ET.
Local bars and beer markets are hoping to feel the impact here in East Tennessee.
It's been a tough year for everyone including small businesses.
Bearden Beer Market is just one of many places still recovering.
The tournament was canceled last year because of COVID-19.
Now that the games are back on, local businesses are counting on fans to come out.
"It seems like we're trending upward. We're excited to see peoples faces again," said Chris DiPietro, General Manager Bearden Beer Market. "We're hoping that people will come out and maintain social distancing and still have a good time."
Like many small business, Bearden Beer Market had to pivot a lot during this pandemic but a strong turnout for the tournament could help even more.
DiPietro said they are expecting a nice crowd to for the March Madness games because the seating area is outside and there's room to spread out.
The seating capacity is 300 people but the beer market said they can safely accommodate up to 100 and stick to CDC guidelines.
The Tennessee Vols are set to play in the SEC Tournament at 2 p.m. ET this Friday.
