Zelko says he normally sells about 80 beers during an average home game from the beginning of the game until the first pitch of 8th inning, when he has to stop. On those days he pulls in about $125. On weekends, he can sell more than 100 beers and pull in closer to $200 — even more if the Yankees are in town.
Zelko says he hopes taking his vending to Twitter will take some of the guesswork out of his game by making his routes more direct. Not only will an ordered beer likely mean a better tip, but he also says that fans with smartphones, who are on Twitter during the game, are more likely to have more wealth and therefore have more money to spend.
One fan, @justin_925, said this to Zelko on Twitter: “Cannot wait to tweet my beer order to you on Friday. It will be my birthday, so get excited for tips.”
Throughout the season, Zelko — who currently has 224 followers — hopes to do something that no other beer vendor has done before: Grow a following, let fans into his life as a beer vendor and communicate with fans even when he isn’t selling beer to them.
There's something to be said for getting to know your beer vendor. Zelko says it's not just the beer that you are selling, it's how you sell it. Last year, his favorite call was "Cold beer, cold beer, Stephen Colbert!" This year, he'll try some new lines. He admittedly has at least one beer vendor competitor who he can't top.