A rainy Halloween evening would usually mean a quiet night for the staff at Café Diplomatiko on College Street, but Toronto Blue Jays The World Series means the Little Italy restaurant is in for a night to remember.
Throughout downtown, restaurants and bars are preparing to break records as fans flock to see if the Jays can beat the Los Angeles Dodgers to win their first title. World Series title since the 1990s.
At Cafe Diplomatico, reservations for seats near the restaurant's giant screen have long been removed, although they are leaving 30 percent of the seats open to diners and ordering from extra supplies.
“We were very busy during the playoffs,” Rocco Mastrangelo Jr., co-owner of Cafe Diplomatico, told Global News. “We're excited. We're preparing, we're stocking up, we brought extra supplies – definitely more beer – so it looks like it's already a good turnout.”
Down the road near the Rogers Center at Steam Whistle Brewing, the Toronto-based company expects to set the record on Friday night, with tables selling out starting at noon.
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“There will be two streams of people,” said Catherine Oppedisano of Steam Whistle. “There will be everyone who wants to get a slightly less expensive beer before heading to the game, and at the same time people who want to save their spot at the viewing party.”
Roundhouse Park, the area next to Steam Whistle, is one of the areas of Toronto that allows outdoor drinking, meaning those who can't find a seat at Steam Whistle can still hang out with a pint nearby to watch them on the big screen.
Oppedisano said Steam Whistle recorded more than 2,500 transactions for Games 1 and 2 of the World Series, which is “by far” a record for the company. She said she expected to be beaten on Friday.
Data from payment platform Moneris shows a similar pattern was repeated for restaurants and bars in the city centre.
“Restaurant transaction volume jumped 27 percent near Rogers Center and 10 percent citywide in Game 1, clearly showing how the championship stage is inspiring fans to enjoy the experience while spending a little more,” the company's vice president of data services. told Global News.
Fans also spent more money per transaction, with average transaction size up 13 percent near Rogers Center and 5 percent citywide.
The jump wasn't as big after Game 2, with Los Angeles tying the game after beating the Jays 5-1, but transactions were still up 20 percent near Rogers Center and two percent citywide.
The average transaction size rose 12 percent near Rogers Center after the second game and 4 percent citywide.
Hotels also saw growth. Destination Toronto said the two World Series games played so far in Toronto saw an 18 per cent increase in hotel demand compared to last year, amounting to more than 7,000 room nights.
Despite Cafe Diplomatico's business boom, Mastrangelo Jr. said he can't stomach Game 7 and wants to see the Blue Jays close out the series on Friday night.
“I think it's quite necessary for Toronto and Canada to hand this over to the United States, so I'd rather they finish it off,” he said. “Monetarily, yeah, it would be nice to get another night, but I really want them to finish this. I don't want them to go to a seventh game.”
— with files from Uday Rana
© 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
