World Series sales: Ferg's in St. Petersburg tops $1.2M in 3 days
Businesses celebrate World Series economic win
They say don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened. Well, a bunch of businesses in St. Pete have a lot to smile about because of the World Series. While the Rays didn't get the title, these businesses are celebrating a major economic win. FOX 13's Blake DeVine reports.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The World Series may be over, but one St. Petersburg sports bar is celebrating a multi-million dollar month because of it.
World Series brings fan spending surge
Big picture view:
This week, thousands of Tampa Bay Rays and Milwaukee Brewers fans flocked to downtown St. Petersburg for Games 3, 4 and 5 of the World Series. Their spending provided a boost to local hotels, restaurants and bars.
Ferg's Sports Bar & Grill was one of them.
They generated more than $1.2 million in revenue throughout the three-game stretch. Ferg's owner Mark Ferguson says it was the bar's busiest three days in 34 years.
"The bartenders and wait staff are very happy," he said. "Everybody's happy, although they're very tired."
Located across the street from Tropicana Field, Ferg's saw staggering food and beverage sales. Miller Lite and Coors Light were among the fan favorites, especially among visiting Milwaukee fans.
Staggering food and beer totals
By the numbers:
According to Ferguson, his bar sold 3,500 cases of beer and seltzers, 3,800 burgers and 45,000 chicken wings between Monday and Wednesday. With 24 drinks per case, that's an estimated 84,000 beers and seltzers sold in just three days.
Four food trucks were also brought in to handle the huge crowds. Ferguson says their operators were thrilled with the surge in sales.
"I have no idea how much they sold," he said. "But, they are very happy, and they said they're taking a vacation for a month."
The owner expects Ferg's to generate nearly $4 million in October revenue, roughly three months' worth of business in one month. Visit St. Pete-Clearwater previously estimated the World Series could generate up to $1.8 million in local economic impact.
A final figure has not been released.
National spotlight on St. Pete venue
What they're saying:
Ferguson says the record-breaking crowds also brought national exposure to the longtime St. Petersburg staple.
"It was the busiest three days we ever had at Ferg's Sports Bar," he said. "We’ll be on the map forever because of this World Series."
Potential expansion to Tampa?
What's next:
With the Rays planning to move to Tampa in 2029, businesses surrounding Tropicana Field face an uncertain future, but the owner says Ferg's isn't going anywhere.
However, he's exploring the possibility of opening a second location near the team's future ballpark in Tampa.
The Source: Information for this story came from statements from Visit St. Pete-Clearwater, interviews with the owner of Ferg's Sports Bar & Grill and previous reporting on FOX 13.