Just a little market share
Boston-founded chain wears an L.A. banner during World Series.
Boston Market, a Beantown-founded restaurant that proudly bears its name in red, white and black letters is going blue for the World Series — at least in Los Angeles.
Ten area Boston Market restaurants have hung banners with the words “Los Angeles” covering “Boston” in the restaurant’s name, an idea spurred by local managers as excitement over the World Series built, said Tim Hartmann, the restaurant’s vice president of marketing.
Although the Dodgers are down 2-0 in the series with the Boston Red Sox, Charles Thomas, a manager at a Burbank Boston Market, says locals are still pulling for the boys in blue.
“It’s hometown spirit,” said Thomas, who arrived at work Wednesday morning to see workers hanging the signs. “We’re going for the Dodgers.”
The gesture of support for the hometown team, which includes the message “Go Blue,” is keeping spirits high for employees.
In Burbank, guests are greeted with, “Welcome to the Los Angeles Market,” and on game days, employees wear blue-and-white shirts and baseball caps, Thomas said.
The first “Los Angeles” banner went up Tuesday afternoon, just before Game 1, which the Dodgers lost 8-4.
Banners are now in place in Van Nuys, Monterey Park, Rancho Cucamonga, Westchester and other locations closer to Dodger Stadium, said Seth Grugle, a Boston Market spokesman.
Though the chain has Boston roots, when it became clear that the Red Sox would face the Dodgers in the World Series, company officials were all in on the L.A. banners, Hartmann said. They will come down after the Series, he said.
“We’ve heard from people on the East Coast and in Boston who are taking it good-naturedly and enjoying the excitement around what’s happening in the baseball world.”