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Downtown Detroit businesses celebrate the return of Opening Day

Posted at 11:48 PM, Mar 10, 2022
and last updated 2022-03-10 23:48:31-05

DETROIT (WXYZ) — In downtown Detroit, news spread fast that baseball is back.

“Really excited about it," Tigers fan Joe Cook-Sugar said. "Excited to see how the Tigers play this season.”

Even inside the kitchen of Brass Rail Pizza Bar, excitement for the Tigers was easy to see.

“I smiled ear to ear," Brass Rail bar manager Kevin Weathers said. "They (employees) were like, 'What’s going on?' And I was like, 'Opening Day is happening.'”

Weathers says the staff at Brass Rail has closely followed the news. They’ve been selling tickets for an Opening Day block party, which after weeks of uncertainty is now officially a go.

“It's the busiest day in Detroit by far," Weathers said. "It’s great for our employees, it’s great for the Rail.”

Down the street at Tin Roof Detroit, staff members have also been glued to the negotiations. Their bar is directly across from the park, meaning all summer long, home games are big business for both the bar and bartenders.

“The text message thread (among employees) blew up. Everyone's like, ‘Baseball’s back,’” Greg Cutriss, a bartender at Tin Roof, said. “A lot of our personal financials depend on the volume we do here and the business we have.”

With the season back on, so is the Opening Day party. With less than a month to go, fans are ready.

“Yeah, take the day off work, come down to opening day, celebrate," fan Zach Muntz said. "Go Tigs!”