SF businesses prep for ‘bonkers’ NBA All-Star week 

A veritable atmospheric river of basketball players and celebrities will descend on San Francisco next week, kicking off the year’s prayed-for tourism recovery with an NBA All-Star extravaganza. 

Small businesses hoping to start the year with a bang are prepping for the storm with a smile. 

“Everyone in Mission Bay is walking around with a spring in their step,” said John Caine, owner of Atwater Tavern, half a mile north of Chase Center. For him, that excitement translates to juicing up orders of calamari rings and wings, buying kegs of easy-drinking Michelob Ultra, and stocking up on Blue Curaçao for a Warriors-themed martini with pineapple and Absolut vodka. 

Caine is bringing on four extra bartenders and four extra servers to manage the rush, and all staffers will be decked out in “Atwater Tavern All-Stars” T-shirts. Yes, they’ll also be for sale. 

“It’s probably going to be bonkers around here,” said Harmonic Brewing co-founder Eddie Gobbo. “We don’t really know what to expect.”

The taproom is located in the heart of Thrive City, the 11-acre public plaza around the stadium, which will likely be packed with fans trying to catch a glimpse of LeBron James or heckle San Francisco hater Charles Barkley. 

Harmonic Brewing plans to open an hour early on All-Star Weekend and introduce a new lunch menu for the occasion. And ahead of the chaos, it’s prepping extra-large batches of its top-selling brews.  

“There’s a new energy,” Gobbo said. “Everyone’s really excited for this event, kind of as a kickoff for the rest of the year.”

At Dumpling Time, located in Thrive City, workers have been notified that the situation is “all hands on deck” to keep the siu mai, bao, and har gow flowing. With drink specials in mind, the restaurant plans to have extra bottles of Hennessy on hand to keep guests well-lubricated.

General manager Cindy Nim is pulling managers from other locations and taking the week prior a bit more slowly, using it as a chance to prep, both mentally and physically.

“We’re getting staff well-rested before the madness,” she said. 

The food-truck park and event space Spark Social has warned its vendors to expect a deluge of hungry customers. On a typical weekend, the park can get a couple of thousand visitors. That number is expected to double during All-Star Weekend, said marketing lead Shawna Jackson. The area is hosting a free spin-off event with slam-dunk shows and shooting contests, replete with young hotshot NBA players like Buddy Hield and Jaren Jackson Jr. 

“I expect to see quite a few tinted SUVs,” said Jackson, predicting that in addition to the scheduled players, there might be other celebrities making “a cameo here and there.”

Meanwhile, the Warriors’ original home wants to make sure it reaps some of the economic impact of the All-Stars Weekend. Oakstop founder Trevor Parham has planned a slate of events that will bring in basketball stars like Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Anthony Edwards, including workshops, parties, and a live podcast taping. 

“It’s incredibly important to make sure that Oakland is still very much centered and acknowledged,” he said, adding that he hopes that such events drive foot traffic to downtown Oakland businesses, too. “If you have $400 million in economic impact coming to the region, that impact should be distributed across that region.” 

For folks looking to keep the party going long after the typical closing time, SoMa strip club Gold Club will extend its hours to 5 a.m. during All-Star Weekend. 

Axel Sang, the club’s marketing director, teased that the venue “expects to see some famous faces” coming in to enjoy the entertainment and VIP rooms. The team has prepared to keep the Champagne and tequila flowing all night, and the kitchen has been stocked to bursting to keep the deep fryer bubbling for the club’s famous fried chicken. 

“The city needs this,” Sang said. “It shines a positive spotlight on San Francisco. We are absolutely, extremely excited to be a part of it.” 

Off Polk Street, expansive concert hub Music City has packed its schedule with All-Star related events and is listed on the NBA’s digital map of local businesses offering special promotions.

Former Warriors point guard Baron Davis is collaborating on a beat-making battle on Wednesday, and the next day the venue will turn into an indoor market, with vendors hawking apparel alongside hip-hop performances. 

“We’re hoping for a lot of new eyes on our business,” said venue manager Brad Nofal. 

Music City plans to come up with some cheeky basketball-centric names for cocktails and increase  orders of premium liquors to take advantage of big spenders. “We’re leaning into more high-end whiskeys and bourbons than we usually would,” Nofal said.

Also on the beverage list, of course: more Hennesey.