Marina
Downtown St. Louis businesses are feeling the pinch as declining attendance at St. Louis Cardinals games drags down local sales.
For over two decades, Karen Boschert’s hot dog cart, K’s Unique Dogs, has been a game-day staple outside Busch Stadium. But with fewer fans showing up, her sales have plunged nearly 80% from their peak, reflecting a broader economic slowdown in the heart of the city.
Cardinals Attendance at Record Lows
The Cardinals’ attendance has seen a sharp decline in 2024, hitting levels not seen since Busch Stadium opened in 2006. On Sept. 2, just 17,002 tickets were sold for a home game against the Athletics — the lowest figure in the stadium’s history.
The team currently ranks 19th out of 30 MLB teams in average attendance, a dramatic fall for a franchise once known for filling the stands.
| Year | Average Home Attendance | MLB Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 (pre-pandemic) | 38,000+ | Top 5 |
| 2022 (post-pandemic bounce) | 41,000 | 2nd in MLB |
| 2023 | 35,870 | 10th |
| 2024 | 27,700 | 19th |
Boschert says the lack of foot traffic has forced her to shut down her second cart location near Eighth and Spruce to cut costs on labor and supplies.
“They’re not coming anymore — they don’t want to spend the money downtown on the product that’s on the field, the parking, the tickets,” Boschert said.
Ripple Effect on Downtown Economy
The downturn isn’t just hurting vendors — it’s rippling across the entire downtown economy.
According to the Missouri Department of Revenue, taxable sales in the 63102 ZIP code, which covers most of the businesses around Busch Stadium, are down $50 million in the first half of 2024 compared to 2023.
| Year-End | Taxable Sales in 63102 ZIP |
|---|---|
| 2020 (pandemic) | $147 million |
| 2022 (recovery) | $530 million |
| 2023 | $530 million |
| 2024 (projected) | $490 million |
That 7% drop from 2023 to 2024 marks the first decline since the pandemic and highlights how closely the health of the downtown business district is tied to Cardinals attendance.
Restaurants, bars, and retail shops near the stadium have reported slower nights and less foot traffic, especially on weekdays when the team plays at home.
The Challenge Ahead
The Cardinals have lost six of their last seven games, further dampening fan enthusiasm and making an immediate turnaround unlikely.
Yet long-time vendors like Boschert are staying hopeful.
“The Cardinals won’t always be bad. They’re not going to keep doing that,” she said. “I don’t want to stop because I know we’ll turn it around.”
For now, many small businesses are scaling back operations to survive the slump, cutting hours, reducing staff, or eliminating secondary locations. If attendance does not recover soon, the economic fabric of downtown St. Louis could face lasting damage.
The Cardinals’ attendance crisis is reshaping downtown St. Louis’s economy, draining tens of millions in revenue from nearby businesses and forcing vendors like Karen Boschert to make painful cutbacks.
While optimism remains that fans will return when the team rebounds, the immediate challenge for St. Louis is clear: reviving both on-field performance and the downtown businesses that depend on game-day crowds.