CINCINNATI — What was once the quietest night at Great American Ball Park has become one of the busiest, thanks to a budget-friendly promotion that's hitting a home run with fans. The Cincinnati Reds' "3-2-1 Tuesday" promotion offers $3 beers, $2 hot dogs and $1 ice cream for guests.
Inside the kitchen
I stepped into the kitchen to discover how the Reds’ team behind the scenes delivers these savings on budget-friendly Tuesday nights. Making thousands of discount dogs is no small task, so I grabbed some gloves and jumped in with Gary Davis, head chef at GABP, to see how it all comes together.
"We're gonna make about 25,000 hot dogs. We're gonna start about 3:00, and we're gonna get 'em all rolling, and we'll be done probably right around game time," Davis said.
A team effort
The process requires a roster of 60 to 70 team members working in perfect harmony. They crunch the numbers based on ticket sales to forecast the hot dog demand for each game.
"We do about 1.5 hot dogs per person, maybe 2," Davis said.
The numbers increase dramatically when heavy hitters like the Yankees and Dodgers come to town.
WATCH: How the Cincinnati Reds prepare 25,000+ hot dogs for discount Tuesday games
"We could do upwards of 60-70,000 hot dogs for those games, it's gonna be crazy," Davis said.
From steaming to serving, the assembly line transforms into a well-oiled machine that feeds five different kitchens throughout the ballpark.
"It takes every person. I literally have one person bunning, one person wrapping, once they get so many done on a sheet tray, let's call it about 80, then we put those in a hot box, that hot box gets full and we take it to the stands," Davis said.
Big savings for fans
The value is substantial: an all-beef hot dog normally costs $7.99, but on Tuesdays, you can score one for just $2 — that's a 75% savings right in your pocket.
This promotion has successfully increased attendance, even during traditionally slower periods of the season.
"Even at the beginning of the season, when it's a little bit slower, we're already knowing that Tuesday is becoming one of our busiest days of the week for us," Davis said.
Family-friendly pricing
The 3-2-1 night has attracted younger fans while also making baseball more accessible for families watching their budget.
"You could bring a family of 4 here, in total probably costs $80 out of pocket… I think that's still a fair deal," Davis said.
The next chance to score these savings is next Tuesday, May 13.
More ways to save on Reds tickets
Budget-friendly single-game options: You can purchase a single-game ticket for as low as $8.
Family discount days: If you buy one full-price ticket, you can buy up to 3 more tickets at half price.
Weekday afternoon specials: For all 12:40 PM weekday games, you can get a ticket and $10 in concession credits for $25.
Senior discounts: If you're over the age of 50, there are 13 games this season where you get the senior discount — and purchase tickets at half price.
Watch from home: If you want to watch the Redlegs from home, there's a new option for you this season, and you don't even need to have cable. FanDuel is offering packages to watch all games, both home and away. You can purchase a monthly plan for $19.99 a month or $105 for the whole season.
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