FIFA's economic impact on Vancouver restaurants remains mixed
Some restaurants see record crowds while others experience significant drops as foot traffic shifts around the city.
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Vancouver restaurants are experiencing wildly different impacts from the FIFA World Cup, with some thriving while others watch their usual clientele migrate across the city to catch the matches.
Chanthy Yen, chef and owner of Touk at Time Out Market, watched his downtown restaurant's reservations plummet from 60 on average to just two on some nights — shocking for a restaurant normally operating at full capacity. His newly opened Mee Bar is performing better, but Touk has suffered as diners moved to different parts of downtown.
"I think that FIFA has really excited a lot of people and has moved them to a different part of downtown. So we're seeing diners drop off," Yen told Dished. He implemented a multi-course Tournament Menu for $65 to try to draw people to Alberni Street, but the shift in foot traffic has been difficult. "There aren't many people walking on Alberni Street. They're one street parallel or just in a different part of downtown."
Other restaurants report similar patterns. Matt Brennan and Corvette Romero from Jack's Fish and Chips said their Fraser location was a "disaster during the first week of FIFA," with business down about 60 per cent. However, they noted things have since normalized, except during Canadian games.
Tushar Tondvalkar, chef and owner of Kavita (recently named one of the best restaurants in Canada), shared the sentiment. "Honestly, I feel we are slower than what we expected," he said. "On the game day, everyone, of course, wants to go to the pub or watch parties to celebrate and be in the FIFA fever."
Bailey Hayward, co-owner of Michelin Bib-Gourmand-awarded Gary's, said the only noticeable difference has been a slight decrease in reservations and traffic on Vancouver game days. However, the tournament has created connection opportunities with guests around the excitement happening throughout the city.
Cam Jarvis, president of Lee's Donuts with multiple locations across Vancouver, noted a buzz in the air but unexpected foot traffic patterns. The doughnut chain did experience a real surge during the Qatar versus Canada match — a reminder of the potential for soccer to drive business.