GREEN BAY (WLUK) — One of the centers of attention inside the NFL Draft grounds was the food.
“We are huge cheese fans, we are very cheesy, and the cheese curds have been fantastic,” said Crystal Grundy, who traveled from Tampa, Florida, to be in Green Bay for the draft.
“Obviously the curds, right?” said Roman Torres of Appleton when asked about what foods out-of-towners should try.
Christian Elbers from Seattle, who grew up in Green Bay, agreed. “Cheese curds. Period.”
“So good, I love cheese, I love cheese curds, and what we’ve had so far, they’ve been incredible,” said Allie Goodman, who traveled from Naples, Florida, for the draft.
Lines were long for the eight Wisconsin-owned restaurants featured inside.
For The Marq Supper Club based in De Pere, owner Mike Grahek told FOX 11 ahead of the draft that on day one, they were expecting to serve about 3,000 meals. They ended up serving 4,500 the first day.
“It’s been absolutely amazing. I don’t think anyone could ever prepare for this, but we work closely with all of our vendors, so we’ve been running close, tight on some food every once in a while, but luckily enough that they’d be running the food in,” he said.
“It’s really, really been stressful, but my team, they held it together and we’re still going,” said Derron Wilson, owner of Green Bay’s Lil Jamaica. “I think I was a little overprepared, but it checks out in the end.”
Wilson originally told FOX 11 he had no idea how much food he would need from his vendors.
“Not knowing what I was getting into, I think I guessed well and it paid off,” he said on Saturday.
Both men credit their crews for helping it all come together, and they said the hard work and stress were worth it.
“If the draft were to come back and ask you back, would you do it again?” FOX 11 asked. “I’d have two booths,” Grahek replied.
“Let me see the next challenge we got this one in the bag, so let me see what we could do next,” Wilson added.
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