A's home opener in West Sacramento officially 1 month away, businesses race to get ready
WEST SACRAMENTO -- The home opener for the formerly Oakland A's inaugural season at Sutter Health Park is exactly one month away Monday, set for March 31 as the team hosts the Chicago Cubs.
As crews work to make sure the grass field and stadium upgrades are major league ready, West Sacramento businesses are racing to finish their own makeovers to get ready for big league ball and big league crowds.
"This week, we are putting in a new canopy on the back patio. This will be completely enclosed," said West Sac Sports Bar and Grill owner Shawn Mason, showing CBS13 his outdoor patio under renovation.
The restaurant is a well-known Southport staple, in business for more than ten years. With the A's coming to town, Mason knew some changes would be needed.
He hopes his business becomes a new home base for A's fans not at the stadium.
"We kind of want people to make this their official watch party area," Mason said. "People who aren't going and don't want to get in all the traffic around Sutter Health Park."
The upgrades underway now include a renovated patio with brand-new televisions and added seating.
Inside, all new furniture is on its way. His team is pitching ideas for drink and food specials and they plan to be fully staffed for every A's home and away game.
"We have all new TVs coming — in the back room, a 92-inch TV, and out in the main bar, an 80-inch TV," Mason said. "We want people to be able to come here, hang out, spend the whole game here."
The City of West Sacramento is currently working with about 13 restaurants and bars near the ballpark through its small business accelerator program.
The program grants up to $15,000 to reimburse business owners for renovations like patio expansions, new shade structures, expanded outdoor seating and cosmetic upgrades.
From businesses surrounding Sutter Health Park like Sal's Tacos, Midway Bar and Grill and the Treehouse Cafe all the way back down to West Sac Sports Bar and Grill, each of these businesses are among those who have revamped their restaurant space and applied for the grant funding to help cover the cost.
"We just feel we need to be ready for what the A's are bringing to the business," Mason said. "We can't wait. As an A's fan, I am really excited they are coming to town."
Sutter Health Park is also the site of a major league makeover as crews are hard at work updating the minor league stadium to be MLB-ready.
In January, A's manager Mark Kotsay told CBS13 what upgrades he wants to see at Sutter Health Park.
"The hitter's eye is a big component for our players and the lighting was another one. Those two changes, the field playing surface. Nothing is finished yet. It's in the middle of the construction phase, but they are doing the necessary things to bring this ballpark up to major-league standard and I'm confident they will do that," he said.
It's a team looking to hit their inaugural season out of the park and a city already cashing in.
While West Sacramento has the upcoming home opener top of mind at Sutter Health Park, the A's are already looking far into the future.
This Friday, the A's are opening up their season ticket priority list for when the stadium is finished being built in Las Vegas. Fans only have to pay $19.01 to join.
The team's stop in Sacramento is only meant to last three seasons. The A's are set to host their first opening day in Vegas in 2028.
