Bars and restaurants have been some of the hardest-hit businesses during the pandemic, and they certainly deserved a win. The Montreal Canadiens may not have brought home the cup, but that didn’t stop fans from filling theirs at their favorite watering holes across the province as they cheered on their Habs.
Stanley Cup celebrations by the numbers
Habs fans came out in full force during their team’s run for the Stanley Cup against the Tampa Bay Lightning. While they didn’t walk away with the trophy, in the end, bar and restaurant owners were the real winners of the series with some serious consumer spending.
Game 1
For the first game in the series, Quebec saw an increase of 167% in spending as Habs fans came out to show their support and catch the game on the big screen at their favorite pubs, bars and restaurants.
But it wasn’t all celebrating as these same establishments saw another lift in consumer spending around the third period. This was when Tampa was leading the Canadiens 2-1 before finishing up the game with a very comfortable 5-1 win, leading us to conclude that some consolation drinks were in order.
Game 2
Consumer spending picked up again across the province as fans grabbed refreshments and settled in to watch the game, resulting in a 105% spending increase across Quebec. Refills were in order around 10:00 PM as Tampa led Canadiens again 2-1.
Tampa ended up finishing the game with a 3-1 win, but people stuck around to discuss the game with a 213% spend increase in bars and restaurants around the Bell Centre.
Game 3
The dinner hour was pretty quiet across the province except around the Bell Centre, which saw an 82% consumer spend increase as fans purchased drinks and food before the game.
While another disappointing loss for Canadians, bars and restaurants came out as winners by the end of the night with 101% spend increase across Montreal at 11:00 PM as fans closed their tabs and headed home.
Game 4
Establishments around the Bell Center started the night with a 183% spend increase as fans came out to support their team.
The Habs saved themselves from elimination by bringing home a win in overtime. Spending spiked after each period, leading up to the nail-biting finish but hit a high at around 9:00 PM when Montreal took a 1-0 lead. The celebration started at around 11:30 PM when the Habs secured their win, resulting in a 245% spend increase across the city.
Game 5
The fifth game in the series saw Montreal fans soothe their nerves after Tampa Bay took a 1-0 lead in the second period, resulting in a 93% consumer spend increase around the Bell Center.
Habs fans stuck around to celebrate a good run after losing the cup, and this helped to lift consumer spending at bars and restaurants 130% across Montreal after the game ended.
Montreal didn’t walk away as a Stanley Cup winner, but the series did help to revive Montreal’s bar scene and were a welcome event across the province after a long year of closures.
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Moneris spending reports measure spending in Canada across a range of categories by analyzing credit and debit card transaction data. The figures and percentages cited are derived from aggregated transaction volumes being processed by Moneris in the applicable categories, as compared to transaction volume from the prior year unless otherwise stated
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