At Punch Bowl Social, a $60,000 alcohol shipment arrived Wednesday, about three times the size of a typical order.
Beer, wine and liquor bottles were stashed throughout the two-story entertainment hub at The Battery Atlanta, in any spot a guest couldn’t see.
It was one of the many businesses near Truist Park prepping for Tuesday’s Major League Baseball All-Star Game.
About 100,000 people could attend the Midsummer Classic and five days of events across metro Atlanta and is expected to produce an estimated $50 million economic impact, per data provided to the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau.
Credit: abbey.cutrer@ajc.com
Credit: abbey.cutrer@ajc.com
It comes four years after the MLB pulled the All-Star Game from Atlanta in protest of a controversial election law.
Now, restaurants and other businesses near Truist Park are staffing up, extending hours and planning special events to capture the crowds.
“It’s going to get packed,” said Alston Gibbs, assistant general manager at Punch Bowl Social, a venue with bars, bowling lanes and arcade games. He expects 3,000 to 5,000 customers at peak times. “It’s going to get thick … It’s a big week for Cobb County.”
Giovanni Di Palma, founder of Antico Pizza which is adjacent to Truist Park, expects the 41,000-seat stadium to sell out and another 10,000 people outside enjoying the festivities.
“You have the best baseball players in the planet all in one place,” he said, anticipating sales will soar more than 30% at the popular pizzeria.
The All-Star Game puts a spotlight on Cobb when typically major sporting events come downtown. Truist Park played host to the World Series in 2021. But the All-Star Game includes more activities over more days, which businesses hope bring record sales and boost their brand with out-of-town guests.
“It’s an incredible opportunity to welcome the world,” said Holly Quinlan, president and CEO of Cobb Travel & Tourism. “We get to really showcase our world-class hospitality … and open our arms wide.”
A second chance
When Atlanta lost the All-Star Game in 2021, it was a blow to a hospitality industry still reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic. A limousine operator, for example, told Atlanta Business Chronicle he lost some $250,000 worth of bookings.
“It was such a heartbreaking experience,” said Omar Vega, general manager of the Omni Hotel at The Battery Atlanta, a sleek hotel overlooking Truist Park. “In 2021, the travel industry, and hotels especially, were still rebuilding after the devastating toll COVID took on our industry.”
At the time, he told his team, he couldn’t bring back more workers “since the business levels wouldn’t be there.”
Now, the Omni is sold out Sunday through Tuesday, Vega said. Room rates were bumped above typical game day prices, he added. An online search showed a few rooms available July 15, starting about $2,000 per night.
“With travel back in full swing and a fully staffed hotel, we’re ready to take it on and showcase to the world our little corner of Atlanta,” Vega said.
Special events and celebrities
One of The Battery’s newest tenants rushed to get open in time.
Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux signed a lease in January and worked fast to launch last month, anticipating the All-Star Game and the Braves’ six-game homestand that follows.
Credit: abbey.cutrer@ajc.com
Credit: abbey.cutrer@ajc.com
“The timing was certainly intentional,” said Chris Porcelli, CEO of Walk-On’s, which moved its headquarters to Atlanta last year. “It’s a tremendous opportunity to make sure that we come out of the gate and show everybody what we’re about.”
The restaurant plans drink specials and will host Braves catcher Drake Baldwin on July 14, who will get behind the bar and dole out autograph cards.
At El Super Pan, a Latin American restaurant, chef and owner Hector Santiago is extending operating hours with sponsored events from liquor brands like Bacardi and late-night deejays. He’s adding breakfast on more days to cater to nearby hotel guests.
Santiago expects sales to jump 30% to 40%, a big deal for a restaurant that wants to keep growing, he said. The All-Star Game comes on a Tuesday, usually a slower day in the industry.
“This will be crazy, crazy busy,” Santiago said.
Antico’s Di Palma said the restaurant has booked about 10 corporate events for groups including MLB, ESPN and Nike. Celebrity baseball players will likely pop in to cook with him.
“We might do a couple quick Reels,” he said, referring to the popular Instagram video platform.
Being part of the All-Star Game is more than the fanfare for Di Palma. It’s validation, he said. Antico was one of the first tenants to sign on at The Battery, which opened its doors in 2017.
“I’m personally invested and excited, because I was a part of The Battery when it was a pile of dirt,” he said. “People doubted The Battery would be what it is … Now, the world is going to see.”
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