DUNEDIN, Fla. — Major League Baseball and its players' union still can't agree on a deal. Opening Day and regular-season games are being canceled over a labor dispute for the first time in 27 years.
The impact could leave Florida businesses relying on the season likely without millions of dollars if the lockout continues.
Local businesses in the Tampa Bay area said they were hoping a deal would be reached after weeks of failed talks.
At Bauser's in Dunedin, the line can go out the door. The patio is full of customers, and employees are swamped during a game, regulars and staff said.
The neighborhood tavern sits less than one mile away from TD Ballpark, home of the Toronto Blue Jays' spring training location.
"We start getting busy at like 10 o’clock in the morning and it’s just non-stop," bartender Mandy Engblom said. "It's a really, really good time and it's affecting us a lot here."
Along with revenue, staffing and inventory operations become disrupted from the game delays.
St. Petersburg's Ferg's Bar founder Mark Ferguson said its employees could lose well more than half of its revenue during the period if the lockout continues.
“I feel very cheated. All of the fans feel cheated. We need baseball," Ferguson said.
After the progress from the pandemic, including a four-month delay in 2020, and the current crisis in Europe, some fans said baseball is losing touch over money disagreements.
“They need to realize they’re not helping the sport by having a lockout. They need to get it done," Ferguson said.
Even with a late-season, business owners said anything counts as they recover from the pandemic.
“Especially with the prices of everything going up. The cost of housing, food, every little bit helps," Engblom said.
MLB and the players' union said they recognize the impact the delays are having on fans, but business owners and fans said they can't wait any longer.