Square Employees Gear Up for Game Day

Sadly for Ole Miss students and fans alike, another football season has almost come and gone, but the Rebels have not put their fins down yet. Hugh Freeze did not disappoint in scheduling two of our biggest rivalry games, LSU and Mississippi State, as the last two games of the season. The Rebels will take on the first of those two teams this weekend, which means fans are in for a lot of fun, but also a very crowded Square.

While fans are busy picking out the perfect Grove attire and ordering food for their tents, employees at the various shops, restaurants and bars on the Square are working to prepare themselves for their busiest weekend yet. As the weekend nears, stores know that they will have to stock up on even more Ole Miss gear than usual. At University Sporting Goods, they have loaded the store with Ole Miss attire, face tattoos and, most importantly, Beat LSU pins. They will have extended hours Friday, opening at 9 a.m. and remaining open until roughly 9:30 p.m. During this time the employees expect a constant flow of traffic from opening until the doors shut.

Ellie Darcey, a University Sporting Goods employee, believes this will be their busiest weekend of the year.

“With a rivalry like Ole Miss and LSU, people are going to want to be decked out from head to toe supporting the Rebels,” Darcey said. “So, I think we will see more people than we have for any other game this year.”

University Sporting Goods is not the only store expecting a heavy flow of customers. Katherine Beck, a gift shop on the square, is also preparing their store for the big weekend ahead. Because they carry an entire section dedicated to the Grove, they expect to turn a large profit from fans that need last minute supplies and decorations for their tent. Not only do they anticipate shoppers who need Grove supplies, they also expect to get a lot of out of town customers who are seeing the Square for the first time and wanting to get an Oxford knick-knack. One Katherine Beck employee, Olivia Boone, is looking forward to having the busiest weekend of the year.

Boone said, “I know LSU travels very well and Ole Miss has such dedicated fans, so I know the store will do very well. We are definitely prepared and excited for everyone to get here.”

Although the Square is known for it’s great shops, many fans will be flocking to the bars before, during and after the game on Saturday. The bars typically draw a large weekend crowd, but home game weekends are a different story. Not only should people expect a cover at most bars, they can also expect waiting in long lines to get their drinks. At the Round Table on the Square, they have been working to fully stock the bar and fix any last minute details before they open the doors for a wild weekend. Shelby Warner, a bartender at the Round Table, believes that LSU will be the busiest, but also most fun weekend of football season.

“A typical home game weekend at Round Table means absolute chaos. From the moment we open our doors we are serving people,” Warner said. “Despite the chaos, it’s really fun because of all the energy, especially if we win a game.”

Kate Donlevy is a senior broadcast journalism major at the Meek School of Journalism and New Media. She can be reached at mkdonlev@go.olemiss.edu.