When the idea of hosting World Cup games was pitched to Torontonians, it was hailed as a unique opportunity for local businesses to capitalize on an influx of international visitors who will be touring the city.
But according to Restaurants Canada, the tournament’s overall economic impact on the hospitality industry remains modest, with its full effects still unclear.
Restaurant owners, meanwhile, report that the three-week period produced a mixed bag of results for those in the hospitality industry, particularly establishments that aren’t sports-centric.
As Brazilian soccer fans hung out of car windows in Toronto’s west end last Monday, honking their horns in celebration of a hard-fought victory against Japan, servers and bartenders inside Rio 40 Degrees — a Brazilian restaurant off St. Clair Avenue West and Dufferin Street — were recovering from an overwhelming shift.
“We haven’t eaten,” the owner Janaina Duarte joked. “We’re all very tired.”
The restaurateur revealed that her team had experienced one of their busiest days, even calling on friends who don’t work there to assist during the game. However, Duarte noted that such surges in business only happen during Brazil game days.
“It was very busy. It was amazing,” she shared. “Usually I don’t open on Mondays. But a couple friends came to help me out.”
After surviving hardships that accompanied a slow winter, Duarte viewed the World Cup as an opportunity, telling the Star that there was a noticeable boost in sales as a result.
“It was much better compared to last summer,” she recalled. “Brazilians love soccer, and most of my customers are Brazilian.”
In the downtown core, Atef Girgis, who owns several restaurants across the city, said the impact the tournament had on his businesses was “night and day.”
Though the economic boost experienced mainly revolved around Canada games, Girgis revealed traffic into his establishments was comparable to that of the World Series games.
“It was very slightly less (than World Series),” he said about his restaurants Town Crier on John Street and Adelaide, and Blessing in Disguise, which is located just one block north. “But these were my busiest restaurants as a result of the World Cup.”
While he opted not to capitalize on the Ontario government’s proposal for restaurants to stay open until 4 a.m., Girgis says the successful World Cup period was mainly due to the TVs he temporarily installed in his establishments.
“Normally we don’t show sports,” he said.
Girgis wasn’t alone in his attempts to beckon passersby with televisions, however.
Speaking to the Star in Toronto’s east end last Wednesday, Shamikca Chandran said her family’s restaurant, Aroi Thai, also surrendered to the lure of a big screen.
“The first match, we didn’t have a TV, and it was really slow,” adding that people started trickling in once screens were introduced to their decor. “Most people gravitate toward the pubs during the games, so we realized we’re missing out … but it’s been good ever since then.”
However, Chandran said the surge in business had less to do with tourists visiting the city and more with local residents looking for a place to watch the matches.
While Aroi Thai has adapted to the demands of World Cup season, Chandran said the tournament also created staffing challenges, having lost a few employees to restaurants in the downtown core.
“Because we’re in a community spot, they wouldn’t get as many tips because, over there, there are so many more customers, so they’d get a lot more tips,” she admitted.
But with World Cup fever in Toronto tapering off, so too are the financial opportunities in the downtown core.
“Now, they’re messaging me again,” she laughed. “They’re like ‘I’m free again’ because they’re not giving them more shifts.”
Ever gracious, however, Chandran said she would welcome her former employees back with open arms.
