Liberty Village regularly swells with massive crowds. Toronto FC match days. Argonauts games. Big concerts. But come June 12, the hordes will multiply. And multiply again. The small neighbourhood is expected to host in excess of 65,000 game attendees and visiting fans per game — and there will be six games, meaning around 400,000 people will fill the streets over three weeks.
And the hordes will be hungry. But are the eateries ready to feed them?
Kevin MacDougall, co-owner of bistro Merci Mon Ami, says having FIFA matches at BMO Field puts Liberty Village on a global stage. “The energy of a World Cup is unlike anything else in sport, and to have it in our backyard is something we want to embrace fully rather than just weather,” he says.
Over the 18 years it has survived in Liberty Village (eons in this neighbourhood, where standalone eateries are rare), MacDougall has learned his lesson from the high-crowd events of the past. He knows, for example, they’ll have to staff up earlier and prep more aggressively in the kitchen. Now, they plan to expand their hours during match days, but also rework service flow and add staff specifically for crowd management at peak times.
MacDougall is building out a streamlined match-day menu as well. “We are planning a tournament-focused menu that nods to the cuisines of competing nations alongside our regular bistro offerings, with special features tied to key matches,” he says. Their chicken souvlaki wrap, for example, is usually only served on Thursdays at the bistro; now, the dish is going to be a World Cup staple, thanks to its popularity (and ease of prep).
Over at their Liberty Market Building neighbour Aloette Go, which opened in 2021, general manager Francisco Anaya is “incredibly excited” for the crowds to descend. Given their Liberty Village location is set up for quick takeout service, Aloette Go is not planning major crowd-control measures at this time, but they are working on a “Canadian-inspired surprise” for the World Cup, which they’ll announce closer to the tournament.
Popular brunch restaurant Mildred’s Temple Kitchen has “a fun, new-to-Mildred’s activation planned,” owner Donna Dooher says, along with bulking up staff and extending their outdoor space. They are even adding evening hours. As one of the city’s best-known brunch spots for 18 years, they are used to serious rushes — on a recent Monday there was a half-hour wait at 1:30 p.m. — but they are also working with their property management company and local security partners to add support at peak times and establish ways to optimize guest flow around the restaurant and patio.
The city and the Village
“The Liberty Village BIA has done a great job keeping local businesses informed about plans for the area, including road closures, game-day schedules and ways to promote the neighbourhood,” Anaya says. They’ve been highlighting Liberty Village as more than just the area around the stadium Dooher adds, including a “Liberty Through the Lens” photo exhibition, as well as the promotion of local businesses along the route toward the Exhibition GO Station.
The City of Toronto and Destination Toronto have been proactive in sharing information and helping manage expectations, too: they’ve shared regular updates through webinars, information sessions and business communications around traffic, road closures, crowd flow and what to expect during the tournament, according to Dooher. “That kind of advance information has been incredibly helpful for planning staffing, deliveries, guest communication, and overall operations,” she says. For Mildred’s, it’s not only about managing regular restaurant service, but also the large volume of weddings and private events they host throughout the summer: “When guests are planning a major celebration, details like road access, transportation and timing really matter.”
The logistics issue
MacDougall’s main concern is infrastructure and logistics. “Liberty Village already has well-documented pressure points around traffic flow, transit access, parking and pedestrian movement on event days. The World Cup crowd will amplify all of that,” he says. “The city can help by being proactive on transit capacity, clear signage and coordinated communication so businesses know what to expect on each match day. Predictability is what allows small operators like us plan and staff responsibly.”
Anaya is not worried, per se, but rather “mindful of the challenges that come with large crowds,” especially around access, traffic, delivery pickup and keeping pedestrian areas moving safely. “For us, it will be important that customers, delivery drivers and staff can still move efficiently around the neighbourhood,” he says.
In the end, MacDougall says, this is a moment for Liberty Village. “We are a neighbourhood of independent operators, creative spaces and longtime residents, and a World Cup gives us a chance to put that personality in front of an international audience,” he says. “We hope visitors leave with a sense that Liberty Village is one of the great pockets of Toronto, not just a place near the stadium.”
