River Market businesses look to benefit from KC Current’s historic season opener
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Businesses in the River Market are gearing up the night before the Kansas City Current play their first game at CPKC Stadium on Saturday.
“We’re really starting to feel the excitement around the Current stadium coming in,” said Terry Keith, who owns Double Tap KC. “When the Current announced that they were going to build a stadium right here in our backyard, it was like thank you, finally, some local businesses are going to benefit from a local sports team!”
Keith said that the true impact isn’t known just yet, but he’s prepared for a large impact.
“As a business owner, it’s been really exciting to see, right? We see the economic impact of the Chiefs when they’re doing well,” he said.
Tech N9ne to perform at Kansas City Current game at CPKC Stadium
He’s hopping for a similar impact for Double Tap. He’s thinking that he’ll get business just from being close to the streetcar stop.
“We’re going to get a lot of people anyways so people are going to come in here have a drink, pregame and head down to the stadium,” he said.
Double Tap KC along with Strange Days Brewing Company are hosting a tailgate and watch party.
“We’re projecting a big day. We’ve got staff coming in, probably getting here around 7 a.m.,” Keith said. “The big stink right now, is the parking spaces.” To combat the lack of parking around the stadium, they’re offering shuttle rides to and from CPKC stadium for $15.
Down the street, at Block 15, Owner Sam Hagan is “expecting 200-300 people to show up Saturday.”
The Blue Crew, which is the supporters club for the Current, are having their official “tealgate” at Block 15. They’re walking to the stadium, which Hagan says is over a mile.
“We’re trying to get that European march style set up. So, meet here and it’s just over a mile walk so cancel your morning exercise and come to us, have a couple brewskis and we’ll take the path to the stadium,” he said.
Kansas City Current ready to make history this weekend
Hagan echoed Keith’s hesitancy to say that gamedays would be a success just yet.
“Everyone’s kind of like set up and we’re going to see how it plays out,” he said. “And with the buzz from the team, I hope that at coffee shops, the lines are around the block and that everyone’s booming business-wise this weekend. And we expect that.”
He thinks that his place will also be a regular for soccer fans.
“Having this location and being relatively close and the parking issues, we hope to be a hub before and after games,” he said.
