Ferg’s Sports Bar is best typified by the song in the long running NBC sitcom, CHEERS. “…Where everybody knows your name and we’re always glad you came.” Character is what makes Ferg’s, “what a sports bar is supposed to be!” Family and pet friendly Ferg’s has something for everyone. We treat every customer like you are family from from the youngest sports fan to the season ticket holder.
The bar depicts a family atmosphere which stems from a vision of one man’s dream. Mark Ferguson, is that man. Mark or “Ferg as we affectionately call him, saw an opportunity and took advantage of it. Ferg bought a building from a local business man that once was the mechanic shop for the once thriving business, Pinellas Lumber Company turned gas station and created Ferg’s Sports Bar and Grill in hopes that St. Petersburg would obtain a Major league Baseball franchise. His vision was temporarily dashed when Miami was awarded the coveted baseball franchise.
However, Mark Ferguson was determined that one day his concept of a sports bar in what was run down area known then as the “gas pland district” in downtown would work. Without baseball, survival would be Ferg’s first concern.
Mark Ferguson, a headstrong, yet savvy entrepreneur, began to sponsor local softball, flag football and basketball leagues. Soon thereafter, Tropicana Field became the host of the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Tampa Bay Storm. His vision was taking light!
This opportunity was the first ray of hope toward accomplishing what he had originally set out to do. Hockey and Arena Football provided Mark Ferguson with the capital and exposure to take his dream one step further- expansion. His dream came full circle with the announcement that Major League Baseball had awarded St. Petersburg with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays now named the Tampa Bay Rays.
Any ordinary individual could have come up with an idea of having a sports bar located next to a professional sports facility, but one man’s belief in the popular slogan, “If you build it they will come,” made Ferg’s. Through many trials and tribulations, now world famous, Ferg’s Sports Bar and Grill has not only become downtown’s best sports bar but it is a city institution. Visitors come from far and wide to catch a little of the Ferg’s experience.
The buildings themselves are a testament to Ferg’s investment in his community. The wood flooring was aquired from many of the areas old gymnasium floors, the walls are lined with hardwood from the old “All Children’s Hospital.” In fact almost all of Ferg’s is constructed from the area’s recycled materials. Mark says Ferg’s is a green building and he is right…
Encompassing almost two city blocks, there is truely something for everyone at Ferg’s… see you soon.
