CORRYVILLE, Ohio (WKRC) - The buzz around University of Cincinnati football isn't just packing the stadium; it's helping local businesses thrive.

It doesn't matter if the Bearcats are in town or not. The energy surrounding this team is creating big business on game days for Kelli Gagen, who owns Mio's on Short Vine.

“Last week, we played Notre Dame away. I was kind of ready for it. I was not expecting it to be like a home game,” Gagen said.

This week is a home game. The anticipation after a program-defining win on the road at Notre Dame had fans showing up early.

“We thought we were totally ready for it. We weren’t ready to have no tables available by 3 p.m.,” Gagen said. “We literally have a spreadsheet that’s our game plan, kind of like Coach Fickell probably does on the field. We have it in the restaurant. Everyone knows their spot and where to be."

At Martino's, manager Dante Angiulli said business on game days is lucrative. They're excited to be there.

“It’s not work. It’s a party. You get to hang out with people you know, celebrate, enjoy a good game,” Angiulli said.

It was a slower season last year because of the pandemic. The rush of customers this year is thrilling and demanding. Restaurants are bringing in more help on game days so they can keep up.

“Now, we have to have four bartenders, six servers down here, and we have to have multiple staff upstairs to try and keep everything going,” Angiulli said.

“I'm hiring now. If we keep doing what we are doing, we are going to need all the help we can get,” Gagen said.