The World Cup's effect on local businesses isn't black and white

Businesses are experiencing a mixed bag from World Cup activity, with traffic ranging from dead to full capacity, owners tell Axios.

Why it matters: Several places reported declining sales, grabbing headlines and prompting questions about whether big events are good for local businesses — but that's not the full picture.

We talked to 14 businesses and surveyed our readers to get a bigger sense of what's happening.

The big picture: World Cup business bumps (or lack thereof) depend largely on the product, the location, and both local and visitor behavior.

Visitors want to eat, drink, party and buy souvenirs — and they're doing it around matches and late at night.

Businesses experiencing downturns say their regulars stopped showing up, and some locals say they are avoiding the city.

Zoom in: Customer traffic is partly tied to Fan Fest.

"We've been as intentional as we can about limiting capacity" at Fan Fest, closing some days and promoting other watch parties, KC2026 president and CEO Pam Kramer says.

What we're hearing: Of our survey respondents, a majority said they had not participated in World Cup events as of Friday.

Half of those respondents said they were spending less because they were avoiding downtown.

All of the respondents who said they were joining in reported spending about the same or more than normal.

Business bumps

Entrance to the City of Entrepreneurs at Union Station. Photo: Abbey Higginbotham/Axios

The Blue Line: This River Market hockey hang is one of 16 bars approved to operate until 5am.

"We are absolutely killing it," owner Steve Stegall tells Axios. "Numbers have almost doubled."

Joe's KC BBQ: "We are experiencing about 20–25% more business than a busy Chiefs game weekend," marketing director Eric Tadda tells Axios.

"The international fans have been great. Really energetic," and excited to experience KC barbecue, he adds.

Made in KC: Traffic is up across the metro, but mostly at locations downtown, in the Plaza and at the airport, owner Tyler Enders says.

"It's not lost on us that we're uniquely positioned to benefit from the traffic as we regularly serve tourists in KC," he adds.

Q39: Chief brand officer Andrew Kneesey says each match has been like a Chiefs home game, adding that Argentinians and Ecuadorians "love meat and love barbecue."

Union Station: Roughly 62,000 people have visited as of Thursday, many of whom have shopped at City of Entrepreneurs, according to a statement from the train station.

"The response has exceeded our expectations," Union Station president and CEO George Guastello said in the statement.

Tannin Wine Bar & Kitchen: Steady traffic from locals and an uptick from late night visitors have boosted sales here and at its sister concept, Mineral Lounge.

"We get big crowds on the night before games hosted in Kansas City and after the games," manager Barry Tunnell says, adding that wine members have kept showing up.

Good Karma: Owner Brian Roberts says the coffee shop's sales are up — and he told his customers he wouldn't do anything World Cup-related.

"I focus on Union Hill, Hyde Park, the culture and the craft," he says.

Ups and downs

Mexico fans fill American Royal Hall on the Rock Island Bridge. Photo: Courtesy of Michael Zeller

Rock Island Bridge: The World Cup started off slow, founder Michael Zeller tells Axios. Then, they installed a watch party setup, and the Mexico fans "brought a band and danced at halftime."

Casual Animal Brewing Co.: "Every day is a guessing game," owner Lara Gray says, reflecting what we're hearing from several other businesses. "Besides the USA games, it has not been what we anticipated."

She says some late-night games have been packed, while other big teams generate little traffic, and Fan Fest pulls "exorbitant foot traffic."

Affäre: Owner Katrin Heuser says reservations at the German restaurant dropped off at first, "but this last week, it completely changed."

Guests told her before the tournament that they would avoid coming during the World Cup, and some said they were leaving town.

But a partnership providing food for Casual Animal has helped, and some days required multiple restocks.

Remaining steady

Special-edition travel mugs from Broadway Roasting. Photo: Courtesy of Jon Cates

Broadway Roasting Company: Owner Jon Cates says he hasn't seen the huge crowds some expected, but "we knew our success wouldn't come from dreaming about an influx of out-of-towners."

But the coffee shop did collaborate with Oddities Prints on a travel mug design, and they "have been selling well."

The Russell: This homestyle restaurant in Midtown has seen some traffic increases, but unpredictability with staffing and fewer locals puts business about even, owner Amante Domingo says.

He says the key is to focus on what they do well, and businesses who overspent and then saw losses "got kind of greedy."

"That's on them," he says.

Hamburger Mary's: The restaurant and LGBTQ+ entertainment venue, although apart from the main fan hubs, has seen a small number of World Cup visitors, Hamburger Mary's said in an email.

Sales are down

LuLu's in the Crossroads saw one of its biggest crowds in weeks after the Dutch parade. Photo: Travis Meier/Axios

LuLu's Thai Noodle Shop: Vice president of operations Nick Jovanovic says the Crossroads location is down 12% from these dates last year, and the company's stand at Fan Fest is bringing in less than half the revenue it made during the 2023 NFL draft.

They're adjusting staffing and dealing with sunk costs by trying to sell off extra inventory.

"I'll be happy to say, when it's over, I was a part of" the World Cup, Jovanovic tells Axios, but adds that future events need better planning and communication. "There was a lot of buzz over the past few years about being prepared for a monumental event; however, we were left with very little detail during the planning process."

Other businesses with lower traffic include Cinder Block Brewery in North KC, romance book shop Under the Cover KC in Midtown, and West Bottoms Plant Company, KCUR reports.

European-style cafe Bisou was one of the first to post about their traffic decline a week ago. Locals responded, and another post days later showed a packed house.

What we're watching: How businesses and residents adapt over the remainder of the tournament.

The bottom line: Out-of-towners might not make a difference for some businesses, but locals do.