MADISON, Wis. — The Milwaukee Brewers’ historic postseason run is bringing more customers and sales to Madison businesses, from restaurants showing games to stores selling team gear, apparel and memorabilia.
At Baked Wings and Things, security camera video captured fans cheering Thursday night as the team clinched the NLCS title. Manager Bryan Suh said each game has brought more people into the restaurant to spend money on food and drinks.
“A lot of cheering … just such huge excitement throughout the whole restaurant. It was great,” Suh said.
The run is also driving demand for Brewers merchandise. Greg Feiges and his son, Ethan Feiges, were among shoppers looking for Brewers World Series T-shirts and hats at Dick’s Sporting Goods Friday.
“Sports brings everyone together,” Ethan Feiges said. “So it’s great to see everyone rally behind this team.”
Kyle Flanagan of Dick’s Sporting Goods said employees worked through the night to put new merchandise on shelves after the team’s win.
“Everything is so reactive here in our world,” Flanagan said. “Last night when everything was finalized, we were ready. We had everything here ready in the store to go.”
At Jim’s Card Korner, owner Jim Schaefer said fans are looking for Brewers team sets and autographs.
“They want Brewer team sets. They want autographs,” Schaefer said. “The team is so diverse this year that they’re looking for anybody.”
One of the most coveted items in the store is a Jacob Misiorowski card priced at $2,500. Schaefer said he expects demand to remain strong “for the next couple of weeks.”
For businesses like Baked Wings and Things, Suh said the attention offers a chance to bring in new customers.
“This really helps get people in here to experience what we do,” Suh said.
Dining and Cooking