TOLEDO, Ohio — Toledoans flocked downtown for the Mud Hens Opening Day and enjoyed the Walleye take to the ice, too.
People downtown means potential customers for businesses that occupy the buildings. It also means potential customers for the businesses that take their offerings out into the street.
"It's a lot of people down here," said Tony Martin, owner of JoJo's food truck, during the day Friday. "I'm excited to make some money today."
The truck sells hot dogs and other menu items.
Martin wasn't the only one hoping to make money during the busy day. Rudy Hot Dog set up a pop-up shop downtown, bringing its staff with 2,000 dogs and buns.
"I was so happy to see Rudy's," said customer Lynne Bauerschmidt.
Rudy's General Manager Justin Dionyssiou said the business has five permanent locations in the Toledo area, but not one downtown. After 100 years in business, he said it was a no-brainer to travel to an area filled with fans, at least temporarily.
"Hot dogs are a staple, big tradition here," Dionyssiou said. "Pairs really well with baseball. So, we thought opening day, no better day to do it. Let's bring it down and get it going."
Dionyssiou said 2024 was Rudy's first time partnering with The Blarney Irish Pub for their set-up shop and that it was a hit.
"Expecting to have a really good turnout and we're hoping to get some good exposure, support The Blarney's, support Rudy's, support the Mud Hens and just a great overall experience for Toledo here," he said.
There were 12,800 fans in attendance for the Mud Hens Opening Day win over Nashville. It was the seventh-largest crowd for any game ever at Fifth Third Field.