‘This has been tremendous for small businesses at a time when it’s been really needed,’ said former Orillian Troy Burtch, adding ‘Go Jays go!’
From Regent Park to Roncesvalles, Toronto Blue Jays mania has gripped the city — and businesses, including sports shops, restaurants and hotels, are seeing a boost as a result.
Former Orillian Troy Burtch, a senior manager of Great Lakes Brewery, said e’s experiencing the phenomenon from both sides of the coin.
Over the past several weeks, Burtch said he’s spent more than $250 on Blue Jays merchandise at the shop Pro League Sports in Toronto’s east end, equipping his family with essential fan gear.
“I was 10 when [the Jays] won their last World Series and I can remember it,” said Burtch of the 1993 victory. “My son is 11 and I want him to experience it like I [did].”
He said renewed team spirit has also been a boon for business at Great Lakes Brewery.
Compared to last October, Burtch estimated beer sales are up about 10 per cent for the Toronto-based company because restaurant and bar clients have purchased more kegs as a result of the playoff run.
“This has been tremendous for small businesses at a time when it’s been really needed,” Burtch said. “Go Jays go!”
Great Lakes Brewery sales staff Rob Morra (left) and Troy Burtch (right) at the company’s Etobicoke brewery on Oct. 20, 2025. Supplied/Troy Burtch
Uber trips, food spending and ballcap purchases
On Monday, ticket resellers on the platform StubHub hawked seats for this evening’s Game 7 of the American League Championship Series; a do-or-die match between the Jays and the Seattle Mariners.
Today, some of the best resale seats in the house were listed for upward of $1,500 each, while singles in the Rogers Centre’s upper decks were priced at about $345. Regular season ticket prices fluctuate according to demand but are often possible to get in the top rows for less than $50.
Local resident Je Ho Cho, 23, said these playoff resale prices are beyond his budget, but said he was thrilled to snag a $200 ticket to Sunday night’s Game 6, sold by a friend who couldn’t go.
“People always told me that baseball is so boring compared to the other sports,” he said. “[But] the energy was off the charts!”
Having never been to a Jays game before, Cho said he felt a little out of place surrounded by a sea of fans in blue and white on Sunday night, so he purchased a team cap for about $50.
He ate dinner at home beforehand, knowing Rogers Centre food prices are high, but he said he couldn’t help but grab a soda (which cost about $10) at the venue, parched from all the yelling and cheering.
Torontonian Victoria Tam said she’s also spent some coin as a result of jumping on the Blue Jays bandwagon.
Yesterday evening, before heading to the game in an Uber, Tam said she grabbed dinner with a friend at a sushi restaurant near College Station for about $90 — a purchase she wouldn’t typically make on a Sunday evening.
A friend with season tickets paid for her seat at the game, so Tam said she bought popcorn and a drink for them to share, totalling about $25 with tip and tax.
She said the purchases weren’t necessarily made out of hunger or thirst, but were prompted by the celebratory atmosphere.
“You see everyone else around you eating, drinking and having a good time, so you’re going to feel like you want to do that too,” she said. “I ate dinner right before I came but I was 100 per cent down to snack on butter popcorn!”
Hotel visits up compared to last year
While local fans are getting in on the action, many others have been travelling to see the Jays play, increasing business for local hotels.
On Oct. 5, the date of the Jays’ Game 2 against the New York Yankees, occupancy at Toronto hotels was up 22 per cent when compared to the same day in 2024, according to data from Destination Toronto.
The day prior, when the first match between the two clubs was held, local hotels saw a six per cent bump in occupancy compared to 2024, the non-profit tourism promoter said.
Kelly Jackson, the organization’s vice-president of destination development, said the Jays success is having such a positive impact on hotels because the Jays are Canada’s team.
“You have fans from coast-to-coast-to-coast coming to take in a game and be part of the action,” she said.
She added that while the out of town visits are good for hotels, they have a positive spillover effect on other businesses too, including restaurants and transportation providers.
Toby’s Pub & Eatery near Kensington Market is one such restaurant that may be benefitting from that boost.
Michelle Silva, a staff member at the neighbourhood pub, said they’ve seen a “significant” increase in traffic on Blue Jays game nights over the past three weeks.
While patrons’ orders have been similar to regular nights, Silva said there’s one exception on nights when the Jays win: “A few more shots as celebration.”
CORRECTION: A prior version of this story incorrectly said the Blue Jays last won the World Series in 1992, when in fact it was in 1993.
