Julia Henry

New Haven businesses and local officials are finishing their preparations for the long-awaited 139th Yale-Harvard football game, and the meeting shows promising signs for the city’s economy.

The Game, which is one of the fall semester’s major events, has historically brought tens of thousands of Harvard students, alumni and parents to the city.

The Yale Bowl held over 49,000 spectators in the last game at home in 2022. 

Local businesses, including student favorites such as Atticus and Sushi on Chapel, feel prepared for the high demand. If you also want to setup a business in this area, you can do so with the aid of services like that merchant cash advance.

“We’re typically always busy. We’re right in the middle of campus, so we usually have a huge caseload, so we’re just going to play it as per our normal schedule,” Isabella Riviera, a barista at Atticus, said. “It’s mostly just trying to stay on top of everything. We usually expect a lot of people to come, so we kind of play it by ear.”

According to Riviera, this weekend will be “packed to the brim,” but Atticus will be able to adapt and provide their services to as many visitors as possible.

Sushi on Chapel, another popular food destination, is also expecting high traffic. According to management, family dinners are popular during the weekend. 

“It’s definitely the reason we have more reservations. We are usually busy on Fridays and Saturdays, and before major holidays, but almost all our tables are taken for the weekend,” said Itak Choi, an employee at Sushi on Chapel.

The city has been collaborating with the University to ensure a safe and fun weekend for all the attendees, considering the traffic. 

Officials from the Economic Development Administration expect a strong showing for local businesses.

“It’s obviously a huge weekend for businesses. Hotels are full and restaurants are fully booked, especially downtown,” said Carlos Eyzaguirre, the deputy administrator at the Economic Development Administration.  “The University is also using a lot of BIPOC-owned businesses for catering, such as Jazzy’s Cabaret.”

Eyzaguirre said that BIPOC businesses are the “lifeblood of the city,” and he highlighted how this is a pivotal weekend for their growth and development and an opportunity for the city to put its “best foot forward.” 

Yale, which is also preparing housing along with catering for Harvard students, has been preparing logistics throughout the semester. 

Yale College Dean Pericles Lewis shared the university’s current plan to create a fun and safe weekend.

“We expect over 1,000 Harvard students to arrive tomorrow, so we want to feed them all. We’re having a party at the College Street Music Hall,” said Lewis. “Most of them will be sleeping in the colleges. We want to make sure they stay healthy and don’t cross the road when they’ve had too much to drink or whatever. It’s a major, major activity for everybody involved in student life.”

The first Yale-Harvard game was on Nov. 13, 1875.