By Deborah Wheeler

When John Seeling installed TVs at Buster’s Oyster Bar in Destin in the early 1990s with the simple idea of helping it seem homier, he couldn’t have imagined the impact it would have on his business.
“I never would have dreamed it would turn into such a big deal,” he said recently.
Buster’s now has four 70-inch projection screens and two other large screens, which help to make up the almost 30 TVs the establishment offers to 240 diners in its 6,000 square feet.
“It’s big,” he said. “We have sports up all day Saturday and Sundays all afternoon. Then there’s Monday night football and college football on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. It gives us a big push. Football is America’s pastime.”
Buster’s offers both sports packages on its TVs.
Seeling said he usually has a packed house when there’s a game on and he offers specials of peel-and-eat shrimp, fried pickle appetizers and buffalo wings, which he calls “seagull legs.”
Buster’s is also family friendly, he said, hosting Giggles the clown year around.
However, Seeling admits that it’s Buster’s reputation as a sports bar that has boosted his business into the winter months.
“Hey, I’ve got a group coming from Alabama to watch an Auburn game here on our big screens,” he said.
Aimee Dallaire, general manager of Snapperheads on County Road 30A, concurs that sports are a big draw for its wintertime business.
She said Snapperhead’s has 12 TVs, including projector screens with an 80-inch screen.
“We have sports going on them all the time; whatever people request to see,” she said.
Snapperheads just added the NFL Ticket and also offers a food special of 20-cent wings and draft beer specials during games.
Dallaire said 40 percent of their business comes from that draw.
“For the Alabama game the first week, we were packed. We have the Alabama and Auburn games going on inside and out, and Florida too. What people come in and ask for, we accommodate,” she said.
The Red Bar at Grayton Beach has also recently added flat-screen TVs for their patrons’ enjoyment. However, manager Kelly Krause said they are just doing some stuff for locals for football season and not intending to become a sports bar.
They are also having beer specials during games.
“No packages yet,” said Krause, “but we will get them.
“We always do our anniversary Super Bowl Sunday for locals with food free,” Krause added.
Ball’s Out in Santa Rosa Beach on U.S. Highway 98 has 13 TVs equipped with sports packages and cable. They offer specials of 35-cent wings and beer on Monday nights and are looking at doing it on the weekend, said owner Danon Hardage.
“We do a lot of weekend business and are usually full,” he said.