NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — Many people went nuts this week when the Flying Squirrels, Richmond’s Double A minor league baseball team, announced they would go fully cashless for the 2023 season.
That includes parking, tickets, concessions and merchandise at the Squirrels’ team store, said Todd Parnell, the organization’s chief executive officer. Though contingencies will be in place for when fans don’t have a credit card, for example when there’s a large group of kids on a field trip.
Parnell says the trend has become the norm today across the baseball industry, with many fans and organizations praising the switch for speeding up transactions, particularly in concessions lines. The change in Richmond is meant to be a test run before the Squirrels move to their new stadium, set open in 2025. It too will be cashless.
Norfolk’s minor league team meanwhile won’t be going completely cashless this year, but it is something they have considered, said Tides Assistant General Manager Mike Watkins.
Concessions however could go cashless through the Tides’ third-party vendor OVG Hospitality, but places such as the box office and Tides team store will allow cash regardless of any potential changes, Watkins says.
About 70% of concessions sales at Harbor Park last year were cashless.
The Tides start their 2023 season on the road March 31 at Durham, and open up at home on April 4 vs. the Gwinnett Stripers. Look for the 2023 promotional calendar to drop next week.
