Editor’s Note: A ribbon-cutting ceremony for The Dugout and its new location occurred on Thursday. The sports cards and memorabilia will be expanding what it offers. In addition to the large selection of sports cards and memorabilia, The Dugout will be offering the chance for visitors to play pool, corn hole and arcade games. Food will be available, and there are plans to have an in-house presence for the BHS Theatre and BHS athletes. The original relocation story (which can be found below) ran on Connect-Bridgeport on Sept. 4, 2025.
After 18 months of success, The Dugout sports card and memorabilia store has moved from East Main Street to Benedum Drive.
“We’ll have games between the showrooms – vintage arcade games, pool and foosball tables and corn hole sets,” said Kendra Ruderman, who along with her husband Mosie owns The Dugout. “Roundabout Records there to provide music – some 80s and 90s tunes to add to that vintage vibe and we’ll have Fat Angelo’s pizza.”
The games aren’t only for the opening. They will be staying at The Dugout, providing a safe recreation spot.
“We wanted to expand and create a space for teens and adults to come, have good, old-fashioned fun and not have to worry about the effects of alcohol and smoke,” Ruderman said. “Coming later will be phase 2 of the expansion. We’ll be setting up for live music, karaoke, open mic and theater nights as well as a kitchen serving finger foods.”
The snack bar will be called The Timeout Bar and Grill, a takeoff on a restaurant in Michigan of the same name where the Rudermans first met.
The new location is just across Route 131 from the Benedum Civic Center in the building which also houses Innovations Hair Salon and Huffman Corporation. The Dugout will be in the space formerly occupied by Hillbilly Barrel furniture.
“We’re going from about 1200 square feet to about 3,000,” Ruderman said.
That gives the couple plenty of space for recreation, but also for showrooms to display the various sports cards and memorabilia that is the focus of the retail shop.
Ruderman also offers custom framing, as well as her own art and nature photos.
“We’ll really have something for everyone,” she said.
Following Saturday’s grand opening, The Dugout will be open 4-9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and 4-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Read the April 2024 story about the original opening of The Dugout HERE.