[PIC]College Park bars see spike in business because World Cup
The United States may be out of the World Cup, but College Park bars are still seeing a boost in business from the quadrennial event.
Business tends to hit a lull in the summer, when students leave the city for home and summer jobs, said Michael Stiefvater, city economic development coordinator. With the World Cup, some businesses are appealing to the increase in interest to international soccer. The tournament unites people, and there are always casual viewers, he said.
Bars are the biggest recipient, with many being completely filled, Stiefvater said.
“When you have a packed bar it helps your numbers,” he said.
Yasmine Afshar, Terrapin’s Turf co-owner, said the bar has become the self-labeled “U.S. game destination,” as it showed all of the United States’ games until the team’s exit, when they were defeated by Belgium in the round of 16.
“I’m curious to see how things will pan out now that the U.S. is out,” Afshar said.
Afshar has high hopes for the final on July 13, however, and expects a bigger turnout than in other games, no matter which teams are playing. She compared it to the U.S. hockey team in the Olympics earlier this year, a game that drew crowds and filled tables.
Turf’s daily specials, such as “Taco Tuesday” with $2 tacos and $4 margaritas, might not be specific to the World Cup, but they do coincide with some match days, Afshar said.
Looney’s Pub is running festive promotions alongside the World Cup, including food inspired by the teams playing, as well as $3 Budweiser and Bud Light and $4 Guinness and Carlsberg drafts during every match, manager Ryan Keyser said.
They’re also raffling off a foosball table, he said.
Christian Jenkins/The Diamondback
Keyser said that Looney’s expected a decent international crowd and saw large numbers for the U.S. and Mexico games, and a surprisingly large showing by Iran supporters.
Business during the World Cup has been greater than that for the Olympics or the Super Bowl, keeping Looney’s busy for the past couple of weeks, Keyser said.
“We had no idea what we were going to expect. We based it off the Euro from last year,” Keyser said, referring to the UEFA European Championships, in which solely European international teams competed.
However, the boost in business is only temporary, Stiefvater said. It’s a short spike, “not necessarily a long-lasting impact, but great when it happens,” he said.
When it comes to where students watch the Cup, bars are a hot spot, but there are other options.
Christophe Itsweire, a senior economics major, said he’s watched many games in Washington and at home, and only two at Looney’s.
Sean Young, a senior agricultural science and technology major, said he mostly watched them by himself or with friends, but went to a bar once to see a game.
[ READ MORE: College Park soccer fandom grows around World Cup “fever” ]
