Tampa Sports Bar Will Follow Rays to New Stadium
Owners of the established venue are weighing a new Tampa location to track the team’s 2029 relocation.
Updated on Oct. 14, 2026 in Openings & Closings
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Following the Tampa Bay Rays' planned move from St. Petersburg to Tampa in 2029, Ferg's Sports Bar management is considering an expansion into the new market. The move comes as the hospitality business adjusts its strategy after the team’s departure from Tropicana Field.
Why it matters
Stadium-adjacent businesses rely heavily on predictable foot traffic, making the loss of a home team a significant threat to revenue. The potential expansion highlights how owners adapt by following major anchor tenants to maintain proximity to their core customer base.
The business supports 140 employees and historically achieved daily sales of $350,000 during high-attendance games. Revenue faced a 30 percent decline in 2026 after the Rays relocated to George M. Steinbrenner Field.
The players
Mark Ferguson
Founder and owner of the long-standing sports bar business.
Tampa Bay Rays
Major League Baseball franchise currently planning a stadium transition.
The details
Founded in 1992, Ferg's Sports Bar originally built its model around the predictable crowd cycle of Tropicana Field. After Hurricane Milton destroyed the stadium roof in 2024, the subsequent loss of game-day traffic forced the bar to diversify by adding an outdoor concert venue. Ownership is now weighing whether to replicate this high-volume, stadium-dependent model at the Rays' future Tampa site.
Timeline
1992: Ferg's Sports Bar opened for operations.
October 9, 2024: Hurricane Milton destroyed the Tropicana Field roof.
2026: The Rays played at George M. Steinbrenner field.
2029: The Rays are scheduled to relocate to Tampa.
Market Landscape
The potential relocation follows the 2024 destruction of the Tropicana Field roof by Hurricane Milton, which disrupted the local stadium economy. This move reflects a broader trend of sports-adjacent hospitality venues tracking anchor tenants to stabilize revenue against shifting team locations.
Operators dependent on specific anchor institutions should analyze the financial impact of shifting venue contracts on their primary revenue streams. Diversification into secondary uses, such as concert hosting, remains a vital buffer during transition periods.
The takeaway
Proximity to event anchors is a core operational lever for hospitality businesses, yet reliance on a single venue poses long-term concentration risk. Owners facing similar stadium transitions should audit their current revenue mix and explore non-sports usage to protect margins during off-seasons.
Further reading
For more on local business expansion strategies, see Openings & Closings.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The New York Times.
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