Trickle Down Dash

The blistering July sun had sunk behind the first-base side of BB&T Ballpark in downtown Winston-Salem, and the Winston-Salem Dash had played for a 4-to-2 win.

Now, crowds streamed from the gates and out into the night. They climbed the hill behind the outfield parking lot, crossed First Street and spilled into downtown, where businesses from Burke to Fourth streets waited with open doors.

The Dash crowd doesn't always stand out -- though a few purple hats and shirts were visible in the throngs. But, on game nights, business owners and patrons say, the beers flow just a little more freely and the bars are packed just a little more densely.

At Burke Street Pub, a young man in a Dash T-shirt lounged in a booth near the beer-pong table. At Burke Street Pizza, crowds filtered in before the game for slices of pepperoni and bottles of beer.

Howard Kaye, one of the co-owners of Burke Street Pizza, said when the ballpark first opened in April, business jumped.

"It picked up in the afternoons and nights," Kaye said. "Now, it just blends in."

It's on Fourth Street that the baseball crowd seems to gather -- both before and after the games.

Before a recent game, two tables of Dash fans sipped draft beer and snacked on appetizers at Foothills Brewing, Winston-Salem's micro-brewery.

The brew-pub is the closest restaurant to the Fourth Street parking deck, which offers free parking on game nights.

On this night, friends John Still, Bob Webber and Robert Gentry had driven separately, but planned to go to the game together. They met at Foothills.

"We parked next door," Still said. "This is the easiest way to meet up."

Foothills refills after the game, and further down Fourth Street, at the low-key Recreation Billiards, the bar is packed four-deep in the 10 p.m. post-game crush.

"The atmosphere from the game carries over into downtown," said Joe Chichetti, who recently moved to Winston-Salem and had walked from the ballpark to Fourth Street for a few post-game drinks.

Chichetti and his friends had opted for Rec Billiards, where the energy was palpable -- up-tempo alternative rock played in the background and conversations buzzed.

Chichetti and his friends said they felt that same energy in their lawn seats at the game.

That day, they had wanted to go the game -- "It's a gorgeous day, we love baseball, it's a pretty logical choice, really," he said -- and they didn't want the good time to end.

"We were having a grand time at the game, having a $4 beer, and it was: ‘How can we continue this?'" he said.

Next door, at Wolfies Frozen Custard, the Stanley family stood in the patio outside the shop. They'd gone to the game, and, after, had come to linger and enjoy the summer night.

"We love downtown," said Mark Stanley. "It's good to see so many people out."

We asked the folks at three downtown eateries and drinkeries three questions about the effect of the ballpark on their businesses:

1) Has traffic increased on game nights?

2) What are proving most popular drinks and/or noshes on game night?

3) Describe the Dash crowd in one word.

Here's what they said.

Alex Prada, co-owner of Caffe Prada:

1) More traffic?

Yes. I would say like 200 percent. We have 1,000 people walking by the shop every time there is a game. So they see us, and so that's good. Some people come on game nights but there are a lot of people that don't come on game nights and come on another night because they saw us. We have all these people and before they never came there.

2) Popular drinks and/or noshes?

Beer is one of them. Beer and wine. And those go along with the empanadas.

3) The Dash crowd?

(Laughter) I don't know how to describe them. I can't do it in one word. It's a big-city baseball crowd.

Caffe Prada is at 390 N. Broad St., 793-2468.

Caleb Flint, bartender at Foothills Brewing

1) More traffic?

We definitely do see traffic before and after the game on most games. We definitely have seen some new faces.

2) Popular drinks and/or noshes?

Definitely the appetizers, as far as food goes -- nachos, wings, good baseball summer food. Along with the burgers those nights. And also, as far as drinks, it's beer, beer, beer. Everybody seems to love Foothills and it's the Salem Gold and Hoppyum IPA on game nights. Those are the two I serve the most of anyways. But those will vary.

3) The Dash crowd?

Enthusiastic. I see a lot of purple in here on game nights. It seems to be a very enthusiastic and diverse crowd.

Foothills Brewing is at 638 W. Fourth St., 777-3348.

Howard Kaye, co-owner of Burke Street Pizza

1) More traffic?

Yeah, I mean a little bit. It did the first couple of weeks.

2) Popular drinks and/or noshes?

Usually, five-meat pizza. We do a lot of pizza. And then you know, obviously the people who can drink beer. I would say Michelob Ultra, if I had to pin one down.

3) The Dash crowd?

I would say, "Enthusiastic." A lot of them are excited that they're going to a game.

Burke Street Pizza is at 1140 Burke St. Northwest, 721-0011.