When Billy Cundiff’s kick went wide left and the Patriots earned a spot in this weekend’s Super Bowl, it was reason for celebration. That’s especially true for local business owners across New England.

“The Super Bowl is normally a busy day for us. I compare it to New Year’s Eve and people ordering Chinese food,” said Joe Prezioso, the owner of Kendra and Anthony’s, which features Joe Wingman chicken wings in addition to standard and specialty pizzas. “With the Patriots in it, we’ll be even busier.”

Local businesses expect to feel the boom of the big game on Saturday and Sunday as Wilmington residents make their last minute preparations for kick off, which comes Sunday at 6:29 p.m.

Melissa Elia, co-owner of Elia’s Country Store, said that as of Friday night the Super Bowl rush hadn’t quite hit yet. She said football fans are more likely to come out in droves on Saturday and Sunday for their grocery needs.

“Any time there’s a Super Bowl, it’s a great excuse to have people together for a party,” said Elia. “When the Patriots are in it, that’s a whole other ballgame. Everyone has a party when the Patriots are playing, and that’s a great thing for local businesses in the area.”

At Elia’s, food options include premade dips, chicken wings, two foot long subs and other appetizers that customers can purchase and heat up for their parties in addition to standard groceries.

The specialty at Kendra and Anthony’s will be chicken wings, with three different kinds of buffalo sauce expected to be the favorite along with a long list of pizzas.

Both business owners praised the hard work of their employees on what could be one of the busiest days of the year.

“My team is wonderful and we couldn’t do it without any of them,” said Prezioso. “It’s a collective team, not unlike the Patriots. We’re always smiling, always laughing, and it gets you through the busy day.”

Elia, who predicts a 24-21 Patriots victory, joked that she doesn’t expect much mingling among employees when the store closes at 8 p.m.

“We’re open until about halftime,” she said. “So we’ll miss the first half, but we’ll definitely have the radio going with the game on. When we close, you’ll see a lot of people running through the parking lot to get to their cars.”