Local bars look to score big with Cup crowds
CHRISTOPHER GREEN had already acquired a 70-inch flatscreen television as he prepared to accommodate football fans and tap the bubbling interest in the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
He has operated along Lyndhurst Road for many years, but this is the first time he has decided to create extra space for sports lovers to congregate.
It’s an index of the power of football globally and the 92-year-old tournament’s capacity to be a money spinner.
FIFA, the sport’s governing body, has raked in US$7.5 billion from commercial deals linked to the Qatar World Cup approximately US$1 billion more than from Russia’s staging four years ago. Jamaicans, too, are looking to cash in. As a self-described mega football fan, Green told The Gleaner last Friday that he was certain that residents from surrounding neighborhoods would frequently visit his establishment to relax with friends and watch matches. He believes that complete strangers will also forge new friendships over their shared interest.
Green was one of many business operators remodelling sports bars, corner bars, and lounges in time for kick-off.
The tournament got under way on Sunday, with hosts Qatar losing to 2-0 to Ecuador.
For entrepreneurs like Green, the goal is clear: Woo more customers in order to increase food and drink sales. The Lyndhurst Road operator said he has always ensured that his bar is fully stocked with alcohol, sodas, and other beverages. But he’s seeking to craft innovative sweeteners to improve customer experience and increase expenditure.
“We are thinking about some sort of deals during the tournament [where] you might have some bucket deals, or you know, you buy like a flask and you get a chaser with it, just to encourage people to not only watch football, but support di t’ing,” he said.
In similar fashion, Azandrea Spence, daughter of Audley Spence, the proprietor of the popular Waltham Park Road tavern Sonia’s Place on the Terrace, said that her football-loving dad started making preparations a week ago.
With higher-than-normal traffic on Sunday for the Qatar-ecuador opener, she is expecting better crowds as the tournament continues.
“Him buy all a di flags dem already. Trust me, all o’ dem going to go up,” she said, jokingly.
On Friday, Azandrea said that her father was out making last-minute purchases of decorations and other items to enhance the bar’s ambience, making it more welcoming for customers. Sports-themed paraphernalia are among the additions.
Like Green, the Spences are mulling over liquor deals and special meals as crowdpullers throughout the World Cup, which is scheduled to climax with the final on December 18.
Audley Spence’s wife, Sonia, said that they have bought three flat-screen televisions to complement the two they already owned. They have also been completing preparations for construction of the television stands.
The new screens will be positioned outside.
“I know he is getting deals from D&G added to it for giveaways,” sonia Spence said.
In order to increase the buzz around the event through the hosting of viewing parties, Sean Wallace, head of commerce at Red Stripe, said that the company will be partnering with more than a dozen “football hubs” across Jamaica as the official broadcast sponsor of the tournament on CVM TV.
“The lead brands on these partnerships will be Smirnoff and Johnnie Walker, while Red Stripe beer bucket deals will also be available in these outlets,” wallace told The Gleaner.