As thousands of basketball fans make their way to the West End on Thursday night to support the Celtics for Game 1 of the NBA Finals, they’ll also be looking for a place to eat and drink — either in celebration, or to wallow in disappointment.
Dozens of restaurants in the area are more than ready to meet those needs and capitalize on the added attention.
At West End Johnnie’s, for instance, owner John Caron expects to see about 600 people throughout Thursday night for Game 1.
“The home games are fantastic,” said Caron, who also owns Fenway Johnnie’s. “The good thing about this round is there’s no early games.”