BUFFALO (WBEN) - The buzz around Sahlen Field and downtown Buffalo was palpable Tuesday night in what appears to be a perfect merging of circumstances - healing from the pandemic, and Major League Baseball in the City of Good Neighbors.
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As thousands descended upon Sahlen Field to watch the Blue Jays defeat the Marlins, local restaurants were reaping the benefits. Jay Medynski is the general manager of the Union Pub on Swan Street, located right across from the stadium.
"It's a world of difference, especially from a financial standpoint, it's a big boost to kind of get us back on track back from where we've been," said Medynski. "We've kind of slid by like a lot of other people, tightened our belts, hoped for the best to get through the doom and gloom. Even outside the financial (aspect), I think it's more of a mental win for us at this point, getting all this positive vibe coming back to us, all these people enjoying the food, enjoying the vibe, and with no masks, actually seeing their smiles...it's fantastic."
And one of the beautiful things about baseball, especially for businesses trying to dig themselves out of the hole in which the pandemic left them, is the frequency at which the games take place.
Sahlen Field will play host to the Blue Jays and large crowds seven more times through June 17, with a distinct possibility of more games to follow. All those dates represent money making opportunities for these restaurants and businesses.
"Events down at the waterfront, hockey games, and obviously baseball is a huge part of what we do," Medynski continued, noting that major events in downtown Buffalo are massive for a business such as the Union Pub. "To get through all this and kind of look through those clouds and seeing Major League Baseball coming into Buffalo to kind of pull us back into whatever normal is going to be, we couldn't be happier - we're really excited about it."