For Chicago small businesses, ‘the pope economy’ is good

CNN
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The Windy City is getting a boost from “the pope economy.”

Since Pope Leo XIV’s election in May, creative entrepreneurs across the globe have worked overtime to stamp his likeness on everything from baby onesies to a cold pint of beer. But the frenzy to own the pope’s likeness might be greatest in the Chicagoland area, where Leo grew up in the south suburbs.

New events can create a “boom for certain businesses,” said Elliot Richardson, co-founder and president of the Small Business Advocacy Council in Chicago.

“It creates a need for certain types of merchandise. I think retail will be able to capitalize on that. And the more people that are around, the better for bars and restaurants,” said Richardson.

With a born-and-raised Chicagoan leading the Catholic church, some small business owners have sprung into action to cash in.

Brent Raska, a former Presbyterian pastor, owns Burning Bush Brewery on the city’s north side. The menu touts spiritually named drafts like Urban Monk, Eden and On High, and nearly all are brewed at the location. Raska sells an American mild ale on tap called Da Pope — of course.

“Kind of like the new pope, it’s an American take on a European tradition,” he told CNN with a smile.

Raska said he produced 1,000 cans of Da Pope, which displays the pontiff’s likeness with a beer in his hand and a Chicago flag scarf around his neck instead of the papal regalia. He sold all 1,000 cans — which cost him a little less than a dollar a can — in just three weeks and is considering making Da Pope a permanent offering.

“I knew it would be popular, but I didn’t think it would go that fast,” Raska said. “It definitely is up there as one of the most popular beers we’ve ever sold.”

A spokesperson for the city’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events credits civic pride for much of the rise in pope-themed merchandise and art.

“Chicago’s pride is evident in all we do — from art and culture to sports and local business,” the spokesperson told CNN.

But pope mania extends beyond the city limits.

Leo’s two-story childhood home in the village of Dolton, Illinois, has gained national attention and garnered visitors interested in his youth. The village has since bought the house for $375,000 and is planning on turning it into a historic site, according to CNN affiliate WLS.

In Chicago’s western suburbs, Cortney Black Kinzler said she started making pope-themed items the same day he was elected.

“Anything we can put the pope on, we are,” said Kinzler, who owns Urban Artisan, a Chicago-centric gift shop in Geneva, Illinois. The items include T-shirts, hats, coasters, stickers, tote bags and magnets.

One of Kinzler’s most popular selling shirts has a design of a smiling Leo holding an Old Style beer in one hand and a shot of the famously pungent, Chicago-made Malort liquor in the other. The words “Amici Manus Chicagonis” hover over the pope’s head like a halo. Kinzler said the Latin phrase translates into “The Chicago handshake” — the tradition of taking a shot of Malort followed by Old Style beer.

Kinzler left the alcohol reference off the pope-themed baby onesies. Instead, the pontiff was depicted holding an Italian beef sandwich — which originated in Chicago — with the phrase, “Baptized Chicago style.”

“What I like to say is, ‘Not everyone’s Catholic, but Chicagoans kind of all practice the religion of Chicago.’ Or just the fact that he’s one of our own, it doesn’t matter really what religion or beliefs you have,” she said.

Kinzler said business has been up 20% at the local street festivals, where she also sells her creations.

“I would expect to see some increase year over year, but I think that jump … you could definitely attribute it to the pope. ‘The pope economy’ is good,” Kinzler said.

Leo has also found his way into America’s pastime.

Stephanie and Josh Ganal, a married couple who own Grandstand, a sports merchandise store near Rate Field, the home of the Chicago White Sox, have seen an uptick in sales after Leo was spotted wearing a Sox cap in the Vatican.

After the pope’s election, Grandstand began selling No. 14 White Sox jerseys, which the team retired in 2015 to honor slugger Paul Konerko, but have since found new appeal with Pope Leo 14 blazoned on the back.

The Ganals said they’ve sold hundreds of the jerseys, which are priced at $200. They say they’ve received orders from as far as South Korea.

Inside Rate Field, White Sox fans like Irene Richardson and her two sons can be seen donning pope-themed T-shirts, which she bought on Amazon for $17 each. The shirts include an outline of the pope’s tall mitre headdress above the White Sox baseball player logo.

“We could relate more to the pope being an American, then on top of that, being from Chicago and a White Sox fan,” she said.

With the White Sox’s on-field struggles unlikely to let up anytime soon, Stephanie Ganal said the coronation of a Chicagoan who grew up in a modest, three-bedroom house to become the head of the Catholic church has been nothing short of a miracle.

“It’s definitely something we needed,” she said. “A little bit of a spark on the south side.”