Wrigley Field hosted the fall classic this October for the first time since 1945 and fans were ready to pay exorbitant prices for admittance to the friendly confines to see the Cubs square off against the Indians in games 3, 4 and 5. It wasn’t just the fans inside the park spending more than normal, however. Those without a ticket to the game paid as much as $500 to get into nearby Wrigleyville bars to watch the game on live on television. For some establishments this meant complimentary food or beverages, in others it meant a seat or a even a table. In some cases patrons were charged by the hour.
But not all sporting events are like the World Series, not all teams are like the Cubs and not all cities are like Chicago, so how can you make your party stand alone when the die hard fans come to town looking for a place to watch, eat and drink? Here’s some of our thoughts as the party 108 years in the making starts winding down:
Not all playlist have to be Centerfield or Take Me Out to the Ballgame. We got creative and took a look at the “walkup” songs that we jammed to as the Cubs’ sluggers approached the plate.
- Freak (Autoerotique) – Arrieta
- 2 AM (Slightly Stoopid) – Arrieta
- Classic Man (Jidenna) – Almora Jr.
- So Fresh So Clean (Outkast) – Almora Jr.
- Hasta Que Se Seque Malecon (Jacob Forever) – Almora
- Informer (Snow) – Baez
- Soy Un Problema (remix — Pusho ft. Daddy Yankee) – Baez
- Warm It Up Kris (Kris Kross) – Bryant
- Simon Says (Pharoahe Monch) – Contreras
- Wilson (Phish) – Contreras
- Fulanito (El Cepillo) – Contreras
- Waiting (Jeezy) – Edwards Jr.
- Jumpman (Drake) – Fowler
- Look Alive (Rae Sremmurd) – Fowler
- Waves (Kanye West) – Fowler
- Moolah (Young Greatness) – Fowler
- Baba O’Riley (The Who) – Grimm
- Alive (Pearl Jam) – Hammel
- Sweet Emotion (Aerosmith) – Hendricks
- Hype (Drake) – Heyward
- 30 Hours (Kanye West) – Heyward
- Right Hand (Drake) – Heyward
- Ain’t No Time (Future) – Heyward
- Oh What A Night (Four Seasons) – LaStella
- Friends In Low Places (Garth Brooks) – Lackey
- Gonna Know We Were Here (Jason Aldean) – Lester
- Laid Back (Jason Aldean) – Lester
- Barefoot Blue Jean Night (Jake Owen) – Lester
- La Mordidita (Ricky Martin) – Montero
- Intoxicated (Martin Solveig) – Rizzo
- Drunk On Your Love (Brett Eldredge) – Rizzo
- Bad Blood (Taylor Swift) – Rizzo
- Good Vibrations (Marky Mark) – Rizzo
- Tu Me Quemas (Chino y Nacho) – Rondon
- Forever Young (Jay-Z) – Ross
- Funky Cold Medina (Tone Loc) – Ross
- Shoop (Salt-N-Pepa) – Russell
- Vampire (Tribal Seeds) – Russell
- The Power (Snap) – Soler
- Wicked (Future) – Soler
- Penelope/Ella Me Dice (Dioli) – Strop
- Amaneci Contento (Secreto El Famoso Biberon) – Strop
- Renegades (X Ambassadors) – Szczur
- How I Got To Be This Way (Justin Moore) – Wood
- Benny and the Jets (Elton John) – Zobrist
If you’re not against the idea of introducing new seasonal items to your menu, take a look at some themed dishes or classics from your team’s stadium. We like some of these iconic options from Wrigley Field:
- Variety of hot dogs: named after cubs icons or your establishment’s theme
- Deep dish classic Chicago pizza
- Cuban style pork sandwich with swiss, pickles and mustard
- Big slugger nachos, served in a smaller replica of the Cubs batting helmets
- Specials on Wrigley beers like Bud and Bud Light, Goose Island and of course Old Style
- Mobile beer or liquor sales in the concession style of Wrigley Field
New Inventions:
- Make a signature cocktail for your bar and your team! For the Cubs maybe something with Blue Curacao and a bright red cherry.
Hopefully these examples get your inner creative going. Obviously these are examples geared towards Chicago Bar Shop home town favorite- the Chicago CUBS, but feel free to spin these ideas towards your bar/ patrons’ favorite teams as a personal touch for added engagement at your establishment. Cheers!