For Sox fans, the pitch is high outside

Fenway bars, eateries get creative to score business from fans

Red Sox fans can’t sit in the stands at Fenway this summer, but cash-strapped neighboring restaurants hope to draw them back to Lansdowne Street with special experiences during game days.

Just how important is it to find ways to bring fans back to the neighborhood without baseball tickets?

“It is crucial. Our bars and restaurants very heavily depend on Fenway events, Red Sox games, tourists, and a lot that’s not going on this year. You’ve got to get creative,” said Ryan Jones of Lyons Group, which owns several restaurants around Fenway Park.

Restaurants like the Lansdowne Pub and Loretta’s Last Call have been doing just 15 to 20 percent of their usual business since the coronavirus pandemic shut them down mid-March, Jones said. “The timing couldn’t have been worse for us, but we’re really trying to be positive and do some fun things,” he said.

To get fans out around the park in a safe, socially distanced manner, Lansdowne Street will shut down to car traffic and turn into a pedestrian zone similar to Hanover Street in the North End. Lansdowne Pub, Loretta’s Last Call, and Bleacher Bar will offer outdoor dining, and the restaurateurs are working with the city to approve giant LED screens to broadcast the games right outside the park.

On opening day, fans can enjoy refreshments at a popup patio right under the legendary Green Monster. Those wanting a glimpse of the the game in person will have to jockey for the hottest seats in town: a socially-distanced table indoors at Bleacher Bar, which famously has a large wall that opens into the outfield, offering diners a view from behind a fence.

That’s where fan Mimi Curtis sat Thursday night, watching the Sox play an intrasquad game.

“You’re a lot closer than you would be at the game, so I’m feeling up close and personal with them,” she said. “It’s pretty awesome.”

Lansdowne Street visitors will still need to socially distance and wear masks when they’re not seated at their tables, Jones said, and reservations are recommended — especially during Yankees games.

STuART CAHiLL pHOTOs / HERALd sTAFF TAKE ME OUT NEAR THE BALLGAME: Not everyone will score window seats looking into Fenway Park at the Bleacher Bar, but tables are available in the shadow of the Green Monster, below left, and patrons can eat on deck on Lansdowne, below right, at the House of Blues.