The MLB All-Star Game is just days away, and that has businesses citywide in the home stretch making preparations for the masses when they descend upon the region.
On Monday, fans were steadily in and out of the Reds Team Shop at Great American Ball Park ahead of the crowds.
“Had to get our shirts and get ready to go. You never know when this is going to happen again. So, you have to be a part of it and enjoy it,” said Alyson Gabriel of Cincinnati.
The next time a baseball is hit at Great American Ball Park is when the All-Stars will be in town. Along with them come thousands of faithful followers looking for gameday gear, food and drinks.
“So many people are coming from out of town to support their home teams, and so many people from Cincinnati will be down here at the bars watching the game. We wanted to try to get in before the crowd hit,” said Shaun Gabriel of Cincinnati.
The crowds are expected to generate an economic impact of more than $60 million.
“We’ve literally got our coolers filled to the brim right now,” said Rian Umbach, a brewer at Moerlein Lager House.
Sitting so close to the ball park, the folks at Moerlein are brewing nearly non-stop. On top of that, Umbach says they’re bringing in extra taps, and inviting other city breweries to take part in their festivities. They’re also going to give the out-of-towners a taste of home while they’re in Cincinnati. They’re rolling out a menu of 30 beers, one representing every ball park in every city in the majors.
“We actually do have a beer that is available from every single major ball park. Now it is available here specifically for this week,” said Umbach. “We wanted to represent Cincinnati hard, but we also wanted to represent all other major ball parks.”
Businesses through The Banks are sure to be among the busiest in town.
“We’re kind of treating it as Opening Day, if you will,” said Holy Grail Manager Tom Sparling.
The Holy Grail is just across the street from the stadium. Sparling says their distributors will have refrigerated beer trucks on site, plus another truck from a food vendor to prevent running out of anything. They’ve also hired extra security.
“Our orders are up from liquor to t-shirts. We’re looking at every fine aspect of the business,” Sparling said.
Their neighbors at the rest of The Banks are just as busy preparing.
“We need to work together to keep things running smooth, to keep things enjoyable for everyone that comes down here,” Sparling told FOX19 NOW.