ST. LOUIS — Even though the Red Birds got a winner Monday, the losses this season have been tough on the businesses around Busch Stadium.
Baseball season is in full swing in St. Louis on Monday as the Cardinals unveiled their new City Connect jerseys.
“That came from a great song from Nelly, ‘Country Grammar,’ and he's from the Lou and he's proud so we thought what better name to put on there than ‘The Lou,’” Cardinals Vice President of Event Services and Merchandising Vicki Bryant said.
The team also recognized local hip-hop producer Metro Boomin.
But business is not necessarily booming for local vendors and stores around Busch Stadium. The fans are frustrated with the amount of losses piling up.
“It's really tough because you can just hear it with what they're saying in line. I can hear them, and they're not happy,” K’s Unique Dogs owner Karen Boschert said.
You'll see her hot dog stands near 8th and Walnut and 8th and Spruce streets. She used to be one of 40 street vendors around Busch Stadium, but now, she's one of about 10.
“Well, I've been here for a long time, and I have two corners," Boschert said. "And I might give up one of my corners if I don't start making some money because I don't want to lose like I did last year. I don't want to do that because I love being a hotdog lady. I love being down here. But it’s a lot of work when you're not having fans down here."
Last year, she lost about $40,000 because people weren't coming to the games.
“They both have to make a certain amount in order to stay open so that I can get paid and everybody else can get paid. So we got to get the people down here,” Boschert said.
Another vendor selling other ballpark staples like peanuts and pretzels said while it can be tough, they're just happy they're able to have a spot on the coveted Cardinals sidewalks.
Around the corner is brick-and-mortar clothing store Arch Apparel, which recently closed two stores but kept the one in Ballpark Village.
“It's doing the best, of course, because we're literally touching on the stadium. We’ve got a lot of players that come to support us as well. So that's why we kept this location,” Arch Apparel Brand Manager Joshua Armstrong said.
Losing games affects them, too.
“Hopefully, we have a great season and it booms again, but we definitely appreciate the support from the city,” Armstrong said.
Boschert said she needs to sell 400 hot dogs a game between her two stands to be in a comfortable place. On Monday, she only sold 200. She said this upcoming Memorial Day weekend will be a good barometer for the season and hopes they'll see travelers return to the Lou.
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