Photograph by Scott Rovak
Rookie Matt Carpenter was the St. Louis Cardinals' unlikely hero in Game 3, with a two-run blast in the third inning.
October, when the Redbirds are still swinging the bats, is the best month of the year to be in St. Louis. The city is abuzz with life, hope springs eternal for David Freese-like comebacks and the city, known to outsiders for its divisions, coalesces behind a single cause. Despite all of the injuries and playing in the best division in baseball, the Cardinals are still in a position to make a serious run in the playoffs. For many, our evenings will be occupied in front of the television. We might occasionally score a ticket or head to our favorite sports bar, but, more often than not, we’ll find ourselves on the sofa or in the recliner.
For restaurants near Busch Stadium, the playoffs bring in more business than any other time of the year. For other restaurants, however, these few weeks can make an inauspicious beginning to fall. While nearly all local restaurant owners want to see the Cardinals do well, there is at least a silver lining to an early exit – business will not take such a big hit. This doesn’t only affect the owners, but the staff who rely on regular business for their income.
Tom Schmidt, owner of Franco in Soulard and Salt + Smoke on the Delmar Loop, says that while other businesses often make up for a drop in business in the weeks following the playoffs, the food industry is different. “If you need glasses, you’ll just wait till next month when you have more time and money. Diners lost during that time don’t store up their need to eat, they just eat elsewhere or blow their expendable cash on scalped tickets or full-body-sized squirrel suits.”
Brant Baldanza, managing partner of The Corner Pub & Grill, The Tavern Kitchen & Bar, and The Shack says that he also loves the Cardinals, but that the playoffs can be tough for business. When a series gets pushed to a sixth or seventh game, The Tavern will have more guests cancel reservations than keep them. Even at a place like The Corner Pub where people might go to watch a game on a Friday or Saturday night, business is down because, as Baldanza says, “People just sit.”
What are these restaurants doing to make the best of it?
“Salt + Smoke will certainly make a push for catering watch parties at people’s homes and we do see great response to that from our outstanding guests,” said Schmidt. “Fine dining at Franco is a different story. Luckily, we make the playoffs almost every year, so we’ve built that into our business’ expectations.”
Baldanza says it helps to have day games or to play a West Coast team where night games might not start until 9 PM Central time, which doesn’t deter the dinner crowd quite as much. Keep an eye out for October-only “Early Bird Specials” at The Tavern, which sure sounds like a great way to pregame.
