The brands are promotin’ some ball: KC businesses look to capitalize on Royals’ playoff return
October 2, 2024 | Olivia Mizelle
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.
View this post on Instagram
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
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
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
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.
Blue October is here and we are excited to team up with KC legends, Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas, along with the @DigginDeepPod, to bring you the perfect shirt for playoff ball!
Shop Now->https://t.co/Z0yGYxJBbZ pic.twitter.com/wJZnF4ydNe
— Charlie Hustle (@CharlieHustleCo) September 30, 2024

2024 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Godfather of content marketing joins the DivvyHQ team
Kansas City-based tech firm DivvyHQ just snagged an industry pioneer in content marketing for its board of directors. The Chief strategist for the Content Marketing Institute, Robert Rose recently joined the DivvyHQ team to lend his years of content marketing expertise. A nationwide speaker and author, Rose has developed content customer experience strategies for such…
Missouri named Hyperloop semifinalist, offering 760 mph alternative to I-70
Missouri is in the running to land a futuristic transportation system that would move people between Kansas City and St. Louis in only 23 minutes. On Wednesday, transportation tech firm Hyperloop One announced 11 semifinalist routes in the U.S. that could receive its system that propels vehicles at speeds of about 760 miles per hour.…
After $8.5M raise, KC-based Pepper eyes IoT dominance
From app-controlled toilets to smart egg trays, the world of IoT is rapidly expanding. In fact, by 2020, it’s expected that more than 24 billion internet-connected devices will be online. And now one well-heeled Kansas City-based IoT startup wants to serve as the hub for those gadgets. After it recently raised a $8.5 million Series…
Investor dinners, KC hospitality garner praise at Rise of the Rest Summit
Kansas City’s hospitality recently took center stage at the national Rise of the Rest Summit in Washington, D.C. Addressing ecosystem leaders around the nation, KCRise Fund managing director Darcy Howe shared strategies she’s used to build the KCRise fund, including a tactic that’s nourishing area startups — literally and figuratively. In addition to showcasing her…
