Deion Sanders Effect Causes Boom For NYC's Colorado Bar, Owner Tells OutKick: 'The Place Is Packed'

At Judy Z's Sports Tavern and Kitchen in New York City, they're keeping receipts just like Deion Sanders.

Now four weeks into the bar's second season as the University of Colorado's NYC alumni hangout on gamedays, and with USC up next today in an early game, the receipts are piling up in record numbers for a bar that didn't ask to be the CU alumni hangout.

The football gods chose Judy Z's. That seems to be the only explanation for how founder Rob Sayegh's West Village bar and the NYC Colorado alumni ended up going into business before the 2022 season and into the 2023 season. Today's crowd is expected to top out at 300 -- full capacity -- when the Buffs kick against USC in a game that will feature a who's who of A-listers looking to be seen at a game that will go down as one of the most-watched in Fox College Sports broadcasting history.

Sayegh and his team will be ready for the onslaught. This time they won't be caught off-guard by the Deion Effect.

Rob Sayegh, the founder of Judy Z's on 7th Ave. in New York City, says being the city's Colorado alumni bar on gamedays has been a crazy ride thanks to Deion Sanders' arrival in Boulder. The bar now has a waiting list to watch Colorado games. (via Rob Sayegh / Judy Z's / Getty Images)

“When Colorado came to us , I was like, that’s great, cool, come on in. So they came last year. The beginning was good, but then it kinda fizzled out because they didn’t play too well," Sayegh told OutKick by phone Friday as the city was being flooded by massive rains.

"We were appreciative they found us on a map in Manhattan because there are thousands of bars and tons of competition out there. We were just happy they wanted to bring a group of people in," the veteran bar owner added. "We would show the game for them and turn the sound on and give them a portion of the bar .”

Needless to say, business during Colorado games wasn't exactly booming last season. A handful of loyalists made it to the end.

The Deion Sanders Turnaround Begins

The Buffaloes finished 1-11 and head coach Karl Dorrell was fired before the team beat California for replacement coach Mike Sanford. Deion was hired in December and the transformation of Colorado football was immediate.

Fast-forward to September 2 of the 2023 season and Deion's debut as head coach on the road at TCU.

Sayegh and his general manager never saw the buzzsaw coming.

A crowd of Colorado alumni and fans estimated to be somewhere between 250 and 300 descended on Judy Z's and the receipts piled up. Sayegh estimates more CU fans poured into the bar that day than the entire 2022 season.

“I honestly didn’t think this would be the effect," Sayegh, who has been a Deion fan going back to his Florida State and Yankees days, continued. “In Week One we were like, ‘What the hell?’ We were understaffed. So we had to hire more people for Colorado games. I’m just glad to be apart of it.

We're Gonna Need A Bigger Staff

He was left dumbfounded and looking for more staff. While he won't reveal financial details on just how great business has been, Sayegh says the Deion Effect forced him to add new employees on gamedays.

“Our Saturdays in the fall are our best days no matter what," the bar owner added. "I can say the Deion Effect has taken the Colorado games to another stratosphere. The place is packed. It’s only for Colorado. The place isn’t that big and we’re packed."

The Deion Sanders Effect forced the NYC Colorado bar, Judy Z's on 7th Ave. to hire more gameday staff to serve all the Buffaloes fans who have packed the place for the first four games of the season. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

A packed house of 300 Colorado alumni and fans will pack Judy Z's to watch today's game against USC. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)

"I would say it’s a very nice surprise and much needed after COVID. It was a very difficult time to operate a restaurant business in the city. I’m grateful.”

Meanwhile, in Boulder, Colorado, the convention and visitors bureau estimates the first home game of Deion's career at the school generated $18 million for the region. Fox and ESPN can't keep their pregame shows out of the city.

Riding The Wave

Even with a blowout loss to Oregon last week in Eugene, the Deion buzz will mean another sold-out crowd at Judy Z's today. Sayegh says he's just ready to ride this wave as far as possible.

Like the CU fans, he's having a blast as one of the luckiest unsuspecting college football bars in Manhattan.

“I just thought it was nice to have new customers, make some friends and get some regulars that come in," Sayegh said of the early days when Colorado fans chose him.

Now he's running one of the hottest college football bars in the entire city.