SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — The Padres are set to face the Chicago Cubs in the playoffs, but businesses around Petco Park say they are already preparing for the surge of fans expected downtown.
At Bub’s at the Ballpark, general manager Herman Shoates said the restaurant’s staff waited anxiously for the postseason schedule to be released before they could finalize shifts.
“Getting prepared for it was a little bit like being on pins and needles,” Shoates said. “The staff was asking, ‘When’s the schedule going to get posted?”
The Padres will play games one and two against the Cubs at 12 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday at Wrigley Field.
It's the first time they have been slotted into that early time frame. Shoates admitted it is not an ideal start time but said the bar will adjust.
“We usually open at 11, but we’ll be opening at 10,” he said. “So for those that want to come down early before the game kicks off at noon, we’ll be open.”
Shoates said the turnaround has been quick, with the Padres coming off a busy home series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Shoates said on a typical game day, Bub’s serves around 1,000 customers.
While Gallagher Square is set to host a watch party on Wednesday, Shoates said he isn’t worried about losing foot traffic.
“They did it last year with the Dodgers. We still stay full,” Shoates said. "It's a win-win for both parties."
Just down the street, Landshark Bar & Grill and Five O’Clock Somewhere Bar are also preparing for the playoffs.
Marketing manager Becca Bishop said the bar has rolled out fan-themed drinks like the “Fernando Tatini” and “Joe Muscarito.”
The Margaritaville-style venue also completed new garage-door installations around the bar to bring in more fans.
“These are new, and that’s to kind of draw that foot traffic," Bishop said.
Bishop said on a game day, Landshark Bar and Grill downstairs draws around 250 customers, and the 5 o'clock bar upstairs draws in around 150. Bishop added that the start time at noon shouldn't change too much for their customer base, as they usually see customers for the 1 pm games.
"That hour difference isn't going to be too much. We are excited that Gallagher Square is doing something because anytime they do something, we're all impacted by it," Bishop said.
Happy Hours at Landshark Bar and Grill and 5 o'clock Somewhere Bar will also be extended for the playoff series, changing from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
"We offer one of the best happy hours in downtown San Diego, and we extend it a little longer during the Padres playoff games," Bishop said.
