Lightning delay during Mississippi State football game sends fans flocking to Starkville restaurants

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – While the more than 2-hour lightning delay during Mississippi State’s game against Memphis was not fun for fans, but it did provide a boost to local restaurants.

“During the rain delay, people were leaving the game steadily and they were sitting here looking, walking around looking for somewhere to eat, probably last-minute before they go out to the bars,” says Cole Herring, general manager at Uno Mas in the Cotton District. “We just happened to be that place.”

At kickoff, Mississippi State reported having the largest crowd for a home opener since 2016. Bu when the lightning delay hit, those people needed somewhere to go.

“That second delay, that’s when we started seeing folks come in,” Walk-On’s Bistreaux and Bar general manager Terry Long says. “We filled up, we had the game on, the sound on. It’s cowbell friendly in here so we had some folks with cowbells.”

Long says they knew most people wanted to watch the game at Davis-Wade Stadium but once Bulldog fans got inside his restaurant, many of them did not leave.

“It was exciting to see the first-time guests, people that had never been to a Walk-On’s,” Long says. “They’re walking in literally looking around going, ‘Oh my gosh, 83 TVs and all these draft lines and what’s this great menu and they’re looking in and out.”

Herring says they saw close to a 75 percent increase in business and were almost full by the time the game resumed around 9 p.m.

“Normally the staff kind of dreads (working) during the game because nobody’s really here,” he says. “We’re not much of a sports bar so not a lot of people come and hang out during the game.”

But assuming they had a good time, the restaurants hope they come back.

“That’s what I was talking to the staff about (earlier),” Long says. “If we take care of the people and show them what Walk-On’s gameday experience is, they’ll come for every home football game, baseball, basketball. They’ll come for the other sports.”

Uno Mas opened up in 2021 while Walk-On’s just opened its doors during the summer of 2022. Both general managers say that being able to welcome in new customers this early during football season was a major win.