World Cup crowds boost Seattle restaurant sales

World Cup crowds boost Seattle restaurant sales

Soccer fans in Seattle are drinking a lot of beer and eating a lot of hot dogs during the World Cup, new data from restaurant technology company Toast suggests.

State of play: To get a snapshot of the tournament's impact on businesses near Lumen Field, Toast analyzed transactions from June 19, when the U.S. played Australia.

  • The company then compared that data with the previous eight Fridays to gauge the tournament's impact on nearby businesses.

    • By the numbers: Overall sales at restaurants and bars using Toast climbed 51%, while total transactions rose 56%.

  • Beer sales soared 212%, making it the biggest-selling beverage of the day.
  • Fans also ordered significantly more vodka (+139%), tequila (+131%) and rum (+104%).
  • Hot dog orders surged 228%, followed by nachos (+87%), wings (+64%) and chicken tenders (+63%).

    • Yes, but: Bigger crowds didn't translate into bigger tips.

  • Average tips slipped to 16.4%, down from 17.2% on a typical Friday.
  • Toast said the dip could reflect an influx of visitors from countries where tipping isn't customary.

    • The other side: Some Chinatown-International District businesses reported slower sales during the tournament.

  • One bakery owner said on Instagram he believes the sports crowd kept locals away, leading to his "worst sales day" ever.