Restaurants real winners despite another short Maple Leafs playoff run: Study

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While the Toronto Maple Leafs didn’t make it to the third round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, restaurants near Scotiabank Arena and elsewhere across the city scored throughout the second round.

Moneris, Canada’s leading commerce provider, was tracking spending during the playoff run and as the series got underway in Game 1, restaurant spending near the arena surged, driving a 13% increase week over week.

While it wasn’t the ending fans wanted, Game 7 is where volume peaked, up 18% near the arena as fans packed bars and restaurants to soak in the playoff atmosphere.

The support also extended beyond home games as during Game 4, which was played on the road, restaurant sales around the city increased by 25%, showing that fans were still eager to cheer from afar.

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“Even with their Cup run cut short, the Leafs gave Toronto something to celebrate off the ice,” said Sean McCormick, the director of business development, data services and LAKA sales leadership at Moneris.

“Near Scotiabank Arena, restaurant transaction volume peaked in Game 7, up 18%. The biggest increase, however, came in Game 4. Even with the team on the road, restaurant volume across the city was up 25%, possibly from weekend watch parties and spending being spread throughout Toronto. Moneris’ data shows how the playoffs bring a real boost to the businesses that help bring fans together.”

Moneris reports measure spending in Canada across a range of categories by analyzing credit and debit card transaction data. The figures cited were derived from aggregated transaction data processed by Moneris in the applicable categories.