Packed, loud, and happy, Sharky’s Cantina in Edgartown was the place to be Sunday night as Tom Brady, Bill Belichick, and the New England Patriots took home yet another Super Bowl championship, and Sharky’s owner J.B. Blau took home a lesson in finance.
As time dwindled in the lowest-scoring Super Bowl game ever and a Patriots’ victory proved imminent, Blau grabbed a microphone and shouted “Let’s go!” to a legion of Patriots fans packed in the popular restaurant.
With a Patriots victory of more than four points, Blau will be doling out gift cards to the 472 people who liked one of his Facebook posts last December. People who liked the Facebook post and attended the event at the Edgartown Sharky’s won $250 gift cards. Those who liked the post, but didn’t attend, still won $50 gift cards.
During his postgame speech, Blau said he would honor the bet, which he estimates will put him out $30,000 — a far cry from a potential $118,000 — but he couldn’t have been happier.
“I didn’t lose the bet, I won the bet. I couldn’t be more excited for everybody who’s been so loyal to us, for all my Facebook friends, for all the people that come here. This is exactly what I wanted on Dec. 19, and I got it today, and this is perfect,” Blau said. “I would do it again, and I’m not in anyway regretful.”
Cheers seemed to shake the restaurant as Blau ran out to his truck to grab a Super Bowl poster that he asked everyone who attended the party to sign so he could proudly hang it behind the bar. He then gave out several replica Super Bowl LI rings and a special edition Super Bowl LI watch, both items from the Patriots’ victory over the Atlanta Falcons two years ago.
On Monday, Blau posted on Facebook that he is working on getting the Sharky’s gift cards together, but that people would also have the option of donating to charity in lieu of getting a card.
Blau joked he may have given some inspiration to the Patriots. “I think Jonathan Kraft saw our post and he shared it with the team,” he said. “I’m super-excited. I think this is great. This is what it’s about. When you own a bar or when you own a restaurant, it’s about the people that support you 365 [days] a year, and I couldn’t be happier.”
