Bars with televisions are no longer just a place to catch the latest football or baseball game. Businesses from New York to Los Angeles to Chicago are tapping into other programs to view during their weekday watch parties: reality television.
They’ve grown in popularity over the last few years, making a big wave through Chicago during one of the most talked-about shows this past summer, “Love Island.” These events are a way for the establishments to make extra money on days when business might otherwise be slow, while also giving fans a place to celebrate their favorite contestants.
Restaurants such as Kincade’s Bar and Grill in Lincoln Park, Chalet in River North and Chasers Bar & Grill in Schiller Park have taken part in hosting their own parties.
Pizza Lobo has been hosting watch parties at its Andersonville location for the last few years. Michael Young, the director of operations at Pizza Lobo, said there’s a type of “magic” when people all gather in one room and are engaged in the same thing at the same time.
When he’s planning for a party, Young keeps the business side of things in mind. He and the staff reach out to brands to promote products and run specials on some of their drinks, he said. They’ve gotten brands like Shilling Hard Cider and Maison Ferrand to sponsor some of the events. Sometimes, Young said, the staff will give out swag items to those who come out.
But his main priority is making sure that everyone who comes out has a good time.
“With the watch parties, it’s less about making sure we have a really good night of sales, more about giving the neighborhood something fun to do on a Monday night because maybe there’s nothing else to do on that night,” Young said.
As the time came for the 49th season of “Survivor” to premiere in late September, fans assembled into Pizza Lobo’s Andersonville location to meet the 25-year-old show’s newest contestants.
The space was packed, leaving people without seats.
“Did it honestly fill up?” one attendee said.
Josh Madwed, a 28-year-old Boystown resident, has been keeping up with the show for the past two seasons. Going to watch parties has been an important part of the experience of watching the show.
“For a lot of these shows, I feel like it’s more about the community than about the show itself,” Madwed said.
While this is a time for supporters to cheer, Pizza Lobo has its own tasks in ensuring guests have a pleasant experience. The atmosphere for the restaurant is meant to be “an extension of everyone’s apartment,” said Young.
“Our yard is your yard. This bar is your bar, too,” Young said. “I want people to feel comfortable walking into Pizza Lobo five days a week, and we’re just excited to see you.”
The hospitality that Young shares is open to everyone who comes to the restaurant. Something special about “Survivor,” Young said, is that the show bridges the gap between generations. Both younger and older generations come to those parties.
“Older generations are used to shows coming out one week at a time, so that’s nostalgic for them,” Young said. “And you have younger generations who aren’t used to that, so they kind of like that change, it adds a little mystery after each week.”
While the restaurant aims to have a relaxed aura, sometimes the shows ignite a burst of energy in the room. Fans clapped and cheered during the “Survivor” season premiere.
It was shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic ended when Pizza Lobo hosted its first watch party at the Logan Square location for an episode of “Vanderpump Rules.”
“It was crazy, the house was packed and everybody who was there was involved in it,” Young said. “Cheering and hootering and hollering, quiet during moments like paying attention. It was almost like a surreal feeling. It was like we were at a theatre or something, I’m getting goosebumps talking about it. It was so new and interesting.”
Young knew he couldn’t let this new venture go to waste.
“We knew we had something special at that moment,” he said. “I was there, I’m like ‘This is cool, we have to do more of this.’”
Series that have a large following with episodes that come on once a week are ideal when choosing what shows to host a party for, Young said. Pizza Lobo consistently hosts watch parties for “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and “Survivor.”
But an important part of hosting a watch party, for Young, is not forcing them to happen.
“If you force it, it’s painful,” Young said. “It’s painful to have a TV show playing through the speakers with no one paying attention.”
What Young has learned since hosting is: What works at one location may not work at another.
When premiering “RuPaul’s Drag Race” at the Logan Square location, there was not a big turnout, but the Andersonville location was packed, Young said.
For “Survivor,” hosts Derek Reining and Will Rupert are assets to the liveliness of Lobo’s on watch party nights. The two met when Rupert hosted a Survivor game on Hollywood Beach. They later pitched to host parties themselves at Pizza Lobo and the idea was green-lit.
The two have been leading the forefront as far as entertaining the crowd when commercials come on at Pizza Lobo. But they also sometimes have surprises for those who attend the viewings.
Through connections with Reining’s “Survivor” podcast, “Bitter Jurors,” he’s been able to bring contests from the show to watch parties. Teeny Chirichillo, a contestant from season 47 of “Survivor,” made an appearance. Season 47 contestants Anika Dhar, Genevieve Mushaluk, Solomon “Sol” Yi went to the restaurant on another day, he said.
“I feel like that day was probably our best day hosting, just having them there,” Reining said. “The fans were so excited.”
For “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” Rupert dresses in drag attire and they bring in local drag queens on viewing nights at Pizza Lobo in Andersonville, which leads Reining to believe they’re a staple in the Chicago watch party scene.
“I have seen other watch parties pop up, but I just feel like ours has become the unofficial watch party for the Chicago area, at least the uptown area,” Reining said.
CBS, “Survivor’s” network, sent them merchandise to give to fans at the start of season 48, Rupert said.
Pizza Lobo also engages in the show outside of just hosting the party. Rupert said on Wednesdays, “Survivor’s” release days, its slice of the day is called the “Survivor Slice,” and has a shot special called “the spicy Probst shot,” a nod to the show’s host, Jeff Probst.
All of the extra miles are going toward Young’s main priority in making sure people have a good time.
“Obviously, we want people here to sell them food and booze, we’re a business,” Young said. “You don’t need to buy anything while you’re here. We feel better about bringing the community together.”
With plans to open another restaurant in the West Loop, only time will tell the type of crowd and TV shows that location will bring in.
Pizza Lobo, 5457 N. Clark St., 312-548-9576, pizzalobo.com