Downtown Fresno businesses capitalize on baseball fans

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The Fresno Grizzlies season is well underway and now some downtown businesses owners are trying to capitalize on the large crowds using new strategies.

Business is good during the summer months especially right before Grizzlies games at the Tioga Sequoia Beer Garden near Inyo and Fulton.

"It is different than most places in Fresno and it is outdoors," said Paula Bravo.

Bravo and her fianc Joseph drive downtown from Northwest Fresno to catch a game, sample cold brews and taste test taco trucks. "It brings a lot of environment to downtown," said Joseph Martinez.

Staff members believe the new concept of a beer garden in Downtown Fresno will draw more customers. At this point they're only planning to keep the outdoor concept going until the end of baseball season. But if enough people show up, they'll extend the schedule. "Our beer reaches from Bakersfield to Stockton so people know about us and once they now where we are at they will come to find us from all over," said Michael Cruz.

Advocates for downtown revitalization say the long term goal is to attract people from all around Fresno. But it hasn't always been easy to get people to invest in the area, so the city offers discounts to businesses as an extra incentive. "There are a lot of great opportunities to access other rental or ownership spaces at very reasonable market rates," said Jennifer Clark with the City of Fresno.

Those deals on real estate are what attracted owners of the now revamped The Downtown Club. Chefs are now cooking up a new special where dinner for two and a bottle of wine will cost you about $50. Their goal is to expand their loyal customer base. "We have our regular lunch crowd, attorneys, doctors, we have the judges who come in and now we are trying to build up our dinner crowd," said Nour Dablan.