COBB COUNTY, Ga. — The Braves aren’t the only ones taking big wins, businesses in The Battery say business is booming thanks to the team’s World Series run.
Business owners in and around The Battery say they are expecting to continue growing as the Braves play out the World Series this week.
A lot of restaurant owners told Channel 2′s Ashli Lincoln that business was slow during the pandemic, but business has slowly increased until this week when business began booming.
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“It’s been relatively busy, we’re happy to see folks come out to support the Braves,” said Victoria Oltean, a manager at record store Waterloo Sunset.
Restaurants and businesses alike say they are welcoming more and more customers to The Battery.
“Certainly, economically, it’s a home run for those of us who are tenants at The Battery,” said Jim Chasteen, co-founder of ASW Distillery.
“It gets pretty busy. We see a lot of people coming in and out. Even on normal days, this area has just become a hub for people to come and socialize,” Oltean told Lincoln.
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Cobb Chamber of Commerce CEO Sharon Mason says they are looking forward to the crowds the World Series is expected to bring.
“We’re seeing a tremendous economic boom,” she said. “The Braves have been a major driver behind the economic impact.”
While numbers from the National League Championship Series have not yet been calculated, Mason says they are expecting great growth.
“We know with all of the hotel nights and the restaurants visited, it’s going to be a tremendous boom,” she said.
Economist JC Bradbury disagrees. He says that while people are spending money at the games, it doesn’t equal a lasting economic impact.
“If I was to go to a World Series game at Truist Park, let’s say I spent $500. I live in Cobb County, that’s $500 I likely won’t be spending around Cobb and other businesses, so it’s not a net increase in income to the community or wealth, it’s just reshuffling of dollars around the community,” he told Lincoln.
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Mason, however, says that the Braves and The Battery are expected to bring in more than $18 million each year.
“It’s just going to be a grand slam for not just this area but our entire state,” Mason said.
The Braves will be back at Truist Park on Friday for Game 3 of the 2021 World Series.
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