During March Madness, sports bars and restaurants fill with customers eager to watch their favorite teams play. 

With long waitlists at sports bars, working high school students rush to clear tables and serve customers to open up more tables. At times, the busy environment can be stressful for some students.

“There’s a huge influx of people leaving and entering, so we have to do it very quickly and carry a bunch of heavy food all around the restaurant,” junior hostess at Johnny’s Tavern, Rowan Glendening said. “Everyone that works there could agree that it gets stressful.”

Although some students find the influx of work stressful, others enjoy the exciting atmosphere that March Madness brings. Sophomore server at Johnny’s, Jacie Butler said during games, fans and employees can cheer on their favorite teams together in one environment.

“I know a lot of people find it stressful, but I enjoy it. Especially because the environment is nice during the game, everybody’s there to have fun and watch the same thing,” Butler said. 

Commonly, high school students who experience a busier work schedule during March Madness work at sports bars and restaurants. However, other jobs like babysitters are also affected by March Madness. 

“I usually get a lot of calls to come in and ask if I can come babysit because they want to go see a game,” Glendening said. 

To adjust to more customers, places like Johnny’s prepare their staff for the rush and make longer shifts. Senior Tyler Jeffries notices how well Johnny’s prepares him for the rush during March Madness.

“We always prepare way beforehand, like with having enough supplies,” Jeffries said. “We also communicate if there’s an issue going on and communicate before the issues happen.”