With the Chicago Cubs making the playoffs for the first time in five years, and winning the division for the first time in 14, some local establishments are catching Cubs fever.

Jeff Dobie, owner of Fatty’s, 1312 W. Lincoln Highway, said he’s been waiting all year for this.

“We are pumped up for this,” Dobie said. “The games will be on all of our TVs with sound cranked to full volume.”

Besides just showing the games, Fatty’s is taking on a Cubs theme. They will serve blue beer, give away Cubs T-shirts and will even crank up the seventh inning stretch for all to sing along.

Starbusters Bar and Grill, 930 Pappas Drive, is overstaffing for the week-long series against the Braves, and owner Nick Tsiftilis said the bar will run its regular drink specials.

Tsiftilis said there would be some giveaways throughout the games, and that Cubs fans are welcome.

“We are Cubs fans here,” Tsiftilis said. “We are the north side bar, so we got to be.”

Bob Goering, owner of Andy’s Lounge, said it, too, will run its regular specials and have 25 TVs with surround sound to feature the games.

Dobie commented that all year there have been great turnouts for the Cubs games.

“Last week, we were out of seats,” he said.

Student Don Carino said he’s been waiting for this for a long time.

“I’ve been a Cubs fan since the day I was born,” the senior marketing major said. “Every year, I thought it was possible.”

Die-hard Cubs fan Parin Shah, a junior business major, said he’s not surprised to see so many Cubs fans in DeKalb.

“We’re close to Chicago,” he said.

Carino also said the amount of Cubs fans here is obvious.

“I see people everywhere putting on their Cubs gear, like hats and jerseys,” he said.

Shah said he thinks there is probably more excitement in DeKalb for the Cubs than there is for the Huskies.

“We’ve been waiting like 30 years for this,” he remarked.

Dobie said enthusiasm has been shown for both teams.

“It’s a magical time, I tell ya,” he quoted.

Dobie said some of the Cubs southside rivals might have also been at the bar watching the game.

“If there are Sox fans here, they keep quiet,” he said.

The series opener kicked off Tuesday night in Atlanta, and the games will continue throughout the week on Wedneday, Friday, and Saturday.