St. Petersburg Bars Packed for World Series

Tropicana Field drew 121,391 spectators across three World Series games this week, and bars and restaurants around the stadium in St. Petersburg reported sharp sales increases. Ferg's Sports Bar, directly across from the ballpark, served 42,000 chicken wings and 3,500 cases of beer and seltzer over those three games, owner Mark Ferguson said.

Milwaukee Brewers supporters arrived hours before first pitch and stayed through the afternoon, filling establishments around the Trop. Grand Central Brewhouse, a short walk from the stadium, reported sales up 30% from the prior Monday through Wednesday and up 85% over the same three-day stretch last year, founder and CEO Kevin Milkey wrote in an email. General manager Matt O'Connell said foot traffic started around 12:30 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, and he estimated roughly 80% of the baseball fans in the brewery were rooting for Milwaukee. The Brewers beat the Rays 4-1 Wednesday night to win the series in five games and take the franchise's first championship.

The three games averaged 40,464 spectators per game, more than double the Rays' regular-season average of 17,469, which ranked 14th among the American League's 15 teams. Nicole Waters, executive director of the EDGE District, said in an email she had heard reports of exceptional business at Ferg's, Hawkers, Green Bench Brewing, the Moxy hotel, and Matter of Fact during the games.

Business picked up at Pure Green Juice Bar between 5 and 7 p.m., owner Russell Browning Jr. said in a phone interview. He also described seeing "foggy eyed Brewers fans" arriving the following mornings after a night of celebrating.

The crowds arrived as the Rays' future in St. Petersburg remains unsettled. In 2024, city and county officials approved a $1.3 billion ballpark plan and redevelopment of the Historic Gas Plant District around Tropicana Field, but the agreement fell apart the next year amid disputes over costs and delays. Hurricane Milton damaged the Trop, forcing the Rays to play the 2025 season at Tampa's Steinbrenner Field. In August, Tampa and Hillsborough County officials approved agreements for a roughly $2.3 billion stadium at Hillsborough College's Dale Mabry campus, which the team hopes to open in 2029 after its Tropicana Field agreement expires following the 2028 season.

O'Connell wrote that "Losing the Rays will be devastating, not just from a business perspective, but from a community perspective." Waters said the district's departure "will leave a significant void in the activity that supports our local businesses." Ferguson, whose bar has operated near the stadium for decades, said of the team's future: "We're waiting to see what happens." He noted the move still faces obstacles and suggested the city could host concerts, basketball tournaments, and volleyball tournaments at the stadium if the team leaves.