A line of more than 20 customers stood outside of sports retail store Grandstand before it opened Tuesday at 10 a.m, but co-owners Josh and Stephanie Ganal weren’t surprised.
The store at 600 W. 35th St., a few blocks from Rate Field, has been flooded with enthusiastic White Sox fans for weeks. And business has ramped up even more ahead of Wednesday’s Game 3 of the American League Division Series.
If the Sox win, it would be their first time in the American League Championship Series since 2005.
Businesses near Rate Field, like Grandstand, have seen record foot traffic and sales, along with a joyful mob of fans.
“It’s very similar [to 2005],” Josh Ganal said of the excitement. “I think the only difference is that time we were expected to be there. This time, it’s exciting to be there.”
The last few seasons have been tough for the Sox, with three years of at least 100 losses, plus an MLB record of 121 losses in 2024.
“Nobody was really expecting this team to come out as good as they are,” Josh Ganal said. “It’s a different team entirely. They’re fun to watch. You can’t ever count them out, and it’s good for the city. It rejuvenates a totally different era of fans.”
He said this year’s team roster is full of personality and camaraderie.
Grandstand co-owners Josh and Stephanie Ganal hold up new merchandise at their Bridgeport store.
Candace Dane Chambers/Sun-Times
Josh Ganal also said the fans are younger and have an “electric” energy, similar to 2005. It’s also spurred “astronomically” higher sales for the business, which was founded by Stephanie Ganal’s parents in 1989.
The store has had to place merchandise orders daily and triple its staff count, including tapping extended family members for help.
“This week, definitely, is a all hands on deck in our family,” Stephanie Ganal said.
Player jerseys, like for Munetaka Murakami, have been flying off the shelves, in addition to hats and playoff-themed sweatshirts. The Ganals also have plans Wednesday to restock shelves for the postgame rush.
“The heartbeat is definitely back on the South Side,” Stephanie Ganal said.
Nearby, a once-vacant Bridgeport tavern that recently opened under new management has gotten into the enthusiasm.
Redwood Lounge co-owner Sean Wagner said Sox games have skyrocketed sales for the bar at 3200 S. Wallace St., which opened six months ago.
This week, sales are on track to to be 78% higher than last week, he said.
For Wednesday’s game, Redwood will have food vendors, drink specials and giveaways planned for its watch party. It made custom Redwood Lounge sweatshirts that says “Baseball in October returns to the South Side.” They’ve already sold about half of the 50 sweatshirts.
Redwood Lounge co-owner Sean Wagner wearing a custom White Sox playoff hoodie. The bar has already sold nearly half of the 50 sweatshirts to customers.
Candace Dane Chambers/Sun-Times
Meanwhile, sales at the 12,000-square-foot Sox team store at Rate Field are up more than 75% year-over-year, Sox Vice President of Marketing Gareth Breunlin said.
Breunlin estimates sales have doubled compared to the 2021 season, which ended when the team lost to the Astros in the ALDS.
The average customer’s purchase is also 20% higher than last year, he said. The store plans to increase staffing by 30% for Wednesday’s game to keep up with what they expect to be a record sales day.
Over at Turtles Bar and Grill, manager Carrie Stegmiller doesn’t know what to expect.
The Sox fan hangout at 238 W. 33rd St. has only been open since 2010 and never experienced the 2005 madness. But Stegmiller said so far, its 120-seat outdoor area has been packed, as well as both levels inside the restaurant.
“Saturday felt almost double of what the normal games felt like, so I can only imagine what [Wednesday] will be like when it’s an actual home game,” she said.
During the regular season, Stegmiller said staffing was doubled to four servers and two bartenders. For Wednesday’s game, she estimates at least 16 people are scheduled to work. And to make things easier on the kitchen, they’ve trimmed down the menu options.
“It doesn’t only benefit the owners but us workers too,” she said. “But also think about this — all the vendors, who at this time of the year are really slow and hard for them, we are tripling, quadrupling the order.”
The mood of the business during those crowded days is “on fire,” Stegmiller said. “Everybody’s happy. Everybody’s singing. Everybody’s coming together. It’s just such a great feeling. Not only because we’re doing well, our team, our lifelong team is doing well. It’s just all around good for everybody.”
Sales surge for businesses near Rate Field as White Sox gears up for Game 3 2026
IUSTITIA.BG – Investigations 2009-2026 2026-10-07 01:47:13
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