Cunningham's Pub and Grill will no longer be open on Sundays due to the rising cost of NFL Sunday Ticket, according to owner Derek Richards.
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"That was not something that we were prepared to spend on," Richards said. "We're a mom and pop shop, so it takes a lot of sales to recoup that kind of money every single Sunday."
Richards said he would have to pay $500 per Sunday for NFL Sunday Ticket. With an 18-Sunday season, the restaurant would be looking at around $9,000 total. A $5,000 increase since they first purchased the package a decade ago.
The decision comes as the restaurant deals with inconsistent foot traffic due to construction and road closures from streetcar work in the district. Richards said his business has been at the Blackstone location for a year and a half.
"Our business starts to rise and then things are going in the right direction and then they close down for a month and then things slow back down," Richards said. "So it's tough for the staff, it's tough as owners."
The construction has created a challenging environment with excavators regularly digging up asphalt outside the restaurant.
"This is the norm. We see a lot of that," Richards said.
While the NFL Sunday Ticket costs were too risky given the unpredictable business conditions, Richards said the restaurant won't have a shortage of sports programming.
"We've been getting a lot of people in," Richards said. "The volleyball, both Creighton and Nebraska volleyball have been excellent this year. So we had a great turnout for that."
"If you have fluctuations in business or something happens, and you don't have a particularly busy Sunday, you still have to pay for that," Richards said. "So it was just something that it was a risk that we really didn't want to take."
Richards wants to address misconceptions about accessing Blackstone during construction. He said a 300-space parking garage is located just one block away from his business.
The owner said they're staying positive about the decision to close on Sundays, viewing it as a much-needed break after the excitement of Husker football on Saturdays.
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