The brands are promotin’ some ball: KC businesses look to capitalize on Royals’ playoff return

October 2, 2024  |  Olivia Mizelle

The Kansas City Royals' mascot Sluggerrr mimes to fans at Kauffman Stadium in August 2024 during the regular season; photo by Tommy Felts, Startland News

Editor’s note: This story was originally published by Missouri Business Alert, a member of the Kansas City Media Collective, which also includes Startland News, KCUR 89.3, American Public Square, Kansas City PBS/Flatland, and The Kansas City Beacon.

Click here to read the original story.

The Kansas City Royals are back in the Major League Baseball postseason for the first time since winning the World Series in 2015, and fans aren’t the only ones celebrating. Local businesses throughout the Kansas City area are hosting watch parties, promoting merchandise and cutting prices in honor of the Royals.

As the Royals defeated the Baltimore Orioles 1-0 in Game 1 of their American League Wild Card Series Tuesday, Kansas City businesses were busy publicizing baseball-themed promotions on social media.

Charlie Hooper’s Brookside Bar & Grille in Kansas City is part of the Royals Home Team Program, and it played Tuesday’s Wild Card games on its TVs. Both games took place during Charlie Hoopers’ happy hour, which includes a variety of drink specials.

The Royals Home Team Program features a dozen Kansas City-area bars and restaurants that partner with the team as venues for game day viewing.

Another restaurant that rolled out a playoff promotion is Meat Mitch BBQ, which hosted watch parties for Tuesday’s games. In an Instagram post, the restaurant said it would be playing the game on all 20 of its HD TVs and serving game day specials and happy hour drinks.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Meat Mitch BBQ (@meatmitchbbq)

Price Chopper is one of the Royals’ local sponsors, and the supermarket chain posted Monday on social media that shoppers could earn 100 bonus rewards points for every run the Royals score in the playoffs, if they make a $25 purchase the following day.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Price Chopper (@my_pricechopper)

Price Chopper also offers “Steal a Deals” during the regular season, offering fans discounts depending on what game they attend and where they sit.

Local Kansas City clothing stores are also getting excited about the Royals’ recent success.

Made in KC, a local gift and apparel store, leaned into the fact that it has been nine years since the Royals have been in the postseason in its Instagram caption Monday.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Made In KC (@madeinkc_)

It promoted its updated Royals gear and encouraged fans to buy the apparel.

Charlie Hustle, a Kansas City sports apparel brand, announced on X that it is releasing a shirt that reads “Give It Everything You Got,” inspired by former Royals Mike Moustakas and Eric Hosmer — two stars of the Royals’ 2015 World Series championship team.

startland-tip-jar

TIP JAR

Did you enjoy this post? Show your support by becoming a member or buying us a coffee.

Tagged ,
Featured Business
    Featured Founder

      2024 Startups to Watch

        stats here

        Related Posts on Startland News

        Events Preview: Smart City Tech summit, Intentional Collisions

        By Tommy Felts | October 16, 2017

        There are a plethora of entrepreneurial events hosted in Kansas City on a weekly basis. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, investor, supporter, or curious community member — we recommend these upcoming events for you. Are you hosting a relevant community event? Add it to the KCSourceLink Calendar for increased exposure. Email info@kcsourcelink.com for assistance. Smart City…

        Techstars KC demo day: How to build inclusive teams that give first

        By Tommy Felts | October 13, 2017

        When Lesa Mitchell first learned she’d be managing director of the inaugural Techstars KC program, she thought to herself, “Wow, I’m going to have the most inclusive program in the world,” she said Thursday at the program’s demo day event. As it turns out, diversity and inclusion can be difficult to apply — even with…

        Techstars KC

        No folly for Techstars KC startups declaring growth at demo day (photo gallery)

        By Tommy Felts | October 13, 2017

        Traction, new pilot tests and funding rounds were among the milestones met and revealed by a handful of Techstars KC startups at the accelerator’s inaugural demo day celebration. The 2017 Techstars KC class features a variety of industries — from edtech and artificial intelligence to virtual reality and food. Five of the 10 companies hail from…

        Is KC enough for Amazon? Pros and cons

        By Tommy Felts | October 12, 2017

        Correction: An earlier version of this story used an incorrect figure for Kansas City streetcar ridership. It has since been corrected to  reflect the system’s more than 3 million riders. Kansas City wants Amazon. But does the online retail giant want KC? With only a few days remaining before the deadline to submit proposals for…