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What MLB's ongoing lockout could mean for downtown St. Louis businesses

"A delay longer than a month of starting the season will alter our outlook for the entire year."

ST. LOUIS — As uncertainty looms over the upcoming Major League Baseball season, downtown St. Louis businesses in the hospitality sector say they are proceeding with operations as usual, hopeful the Cardinals will play a full schedule this year at Busch Stadium.

But while taking an optimistic approach during the ongoing MLB labor stoppage, they acknowledge the possibility of a postponed or shortened season, which would alter their financial projections for this year.

“I don’t think there’s anybody who doesn’t want baseball to happen and happen on time. We’re hopeful everything gets worked out and we have opening day on April 7,” said Tom Schmidt, owner of barbecue restaurant chain Salt + Smoke, which has a location in Ballpark Village, adjacent to Busch Stadium.

MLB’s lockout began in December after the league’s collective bargaining agreement expired. The ongoing lockout already has impacted operations for the 2022 season, with MLB pushing back the start of spring training games, which would have already begun by now. In-person meetings are taking place this week in Jupiter, Florida, between members of the MLB owners' bargaining committee and the Players Association, but ESPN reports the two camps “remain far apart on a new agreement” as they continue to have differences over issues like minimum player salaries, free agency and team payroll issues. On Wednesday, MLB imposed a deadline of Monday for reaching a deal, saying it will postpone regular season games if a pact isn’t formed by then.

Even if the lockout ends up impacting the MLB season, downtown business operators say they are confident they could still have a stronger year financially than in recent years, which saw travel and events disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic. However, Todd Hotaling, vice president of revenue and marketing for Lodging Hospitality Management, which owns the Hilton St. Louis at the Ballpark hotel and its rooftop restaurant Three Sixty, says it's hard for other events to top the impact of Cardinals games.

“Cardinals baseball and the business it brings for the area represents one of the largest demand generators St. Louis has. A delay longer than a month of starting the season will alter our outlook for the entire year,” Hotaling said in an email. "Leisure demand for the area is expected to be as strong or stronger than 2021 with attractions like the Arch and Aquarium still high on the list of reasons to visit our city, so even with a lockout, this market will have a busy summer."

Schmidt, who opened Salt + Smoke’s Ballpark Village location in May 2021, said the location has performed beyond his expectations so far. He said he expects the Ballpark Village restaurant to generate the most sales this year of the five Salt + Smoke locations in the region.

“It’s certainly beat our projection for what we thought would happen,” Schmidt said.

He says that in recent weeks, business has picked up for the downtown location as the end of winter nears, with the restaurant adding staff as crowds grow. Salt + Smoke isn’t the only business located in Ballpark Village gearing up for crowds. The mixed-use district has held job fairs this month as its tenants hunt for more than 250 employees ahead of the baseball season.

Read the full story on the St. Louis Business Journal website.

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