When Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce decided to tie the knot at Madison Square Garden, they probably didn’t think about the mom-and-pop businesses sitting just outside the venue’s doors. But that’s exactly what happened to one bar owner on West 31st Street, who got caught in the crossfire of what should’ve been a celebratory weekend.
Here’s where it gets messy: the bar was initially told the sidewalk would stay open for foot traffic during the Friday evening into Saturday closure. Not ideal, but workable. Then came the last-minute curveball—the entire area got locked down. No customers. No revenue. No warning.
When the bar owner had the audacity to post about it on social media, the fan response was swift and vicious. Swifties lit into them, arguing that losing a day’s income was nothing compared to Taylor Swift’s“Love Story.”Some fans demanded they stop complaining about Taylor. Others took it further, bombing the business’s online reviews with accusations of greed and one-star ratings, calling the owner“a real piece of s***”for daring to mention the impact on their bottom line.
The kicker? Prior to the big day, other restaurant and bar owners in the area told sources they were dreading the wedding’s effect on what should’ve been a profitable holiday weekend. They were bracing for impact. What they weren’t bracing for was fan retaliation for speaking up about it.
There’s an irony buried in all this: so few Swifties actually showed up to MSG that media crews from around the globe vastly outnumbered the fans. The horde of photographers and journalists packed the streets while actual Taylor Swift devotees stayed home. And despite the chaos and the business owner’s losses, Taylor and Travis never reached out. The bar was left to deal with the fallout alone.
Bon Jovi’s playing Madison Square Garden tonight, so maybe his fans know how to let other people make a living.
About the Author
Ava Hart
Ava Hart is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.
