CHICAGO, July 1, 2026 — The New York Knicks’ dramatic win of the NBA championship proved a bonanza for the Big Apple’s food-away-from-home industry, with nearly 9 of 10 local restaurants and bars that aired the games reporting an upswing in sales, according to new research.
The survey by the New York City Hospitality Alliance pegged the median increase at 25%.
The industry had to increase its staffing by 67% to accommodate the additional business, the survey found.
However, the increase came with a price. Thirty-seven percent of the respondents said they invested in new TVs or upgraded A-V equipment to air the playoffs.
In addition, some had to hire security personnel, and others were challenged by what the Alliance termed “crowd management challenges.”
Yet every respondent said the Knicks’ run-up to the championship had a positive effect on the city’s business climate.
“It felt like the NYC before COVID,” one anonymous respondent was quoted as telling the association’s researchers.
“Businesses described a unique sense of community, excitement, and civic pride, with many welcoming first-time customers and turning slower weekdays into some of their busiest nights,” the Alliance said in releasing the results of its survey.
The Knicks had not won an NBA championship in 53 years. This year’s victory was sweetened by the team’s Cinderella status; many sports commentators did not expect the squad to make the playoffs, much less triumph over the San Antonio Spurs in just five games of the best-of-seven championship series.
The NBA playoffs are one part of what’s shaping up to be a big sports year for New York’s food-away-from-home businesses. The city is serving as a host site for soccer fans attending World Cup games in nearby MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.