Ready for Fútbol? We spoke with a hospitality expert about what restaurants should be thinking about ahead of the World Cup matches this summer. BY LAUREN DREWES DANIELS F rom mid-June through mid-July, soccer fans from around the world will descend on North Texas. Nine games — or matches, as they like to say — will be played at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. But, media from around the world will set up shop at the International Broadcast Center (IBC) at the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center. Fair Park will host a fan festival where up to 35,000 fans can watch matches live. We spoke with Brian King, head of the Alpin Department of Hospitality, Hotel Management and Tourism at Texas A&M Univer- sity, on how restaurants should prepare. He’s had experience with these large events and how they affect regions. He notes that this is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the Dallas dining scene. A few key points: • 3.8 million visitors are expected to visit North Texas during the FIFA World Cup. • AT&T Stadium will host nine games. • Fair Park will host a fan festival where up to 35,000 fans can watch every game. • The International Broadcast Center at Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in downtown will host around 2,000 media representatives from around the world. • Toyota Stadium in Frisco and Mansfield Stadium are Team Base Camp training sites, each hosting four teams each. • An Airbnb study estimates that travelers will spend as much money on dining out as on accommodations. • The Michigan Journal of Economics estimates visitors to Dallas could generate between $1.5 and $2.1 billion in regional economic activity. Here’s our conversation with King on how Dallas restaurants should prep, plus a couple of pitfalls to avoid. Who Needs to Prep? Should every restaurant in North Texas be ready, or just those near AT&T Stadium? “Obviously, it depends a lot on where restaurants are located across DFW and whether there’s a lot of foot traffic. But I think that those that are in the kind of walkable areas, probably there’s going to be like a 40% increase in business during that period on a daily basis.” Well, hotels are everywhere, though, so it seems like the 3.8 million visitors could really be spread out? “I was reading the Deloitte report on Airbnb about how cities across the U.S. would be impacted. And one of the things that it noted was that hotels are quite concentrated. So they’re typically closer to the downtown area, for example, and there’ll be some in Arlington, etc. “But a fair proportion of the visitors, because there’s a short- age of capacity, will stay in Airbnbs across the metroplex. So that means that restaurants that are not close to the stadiums or the main activity can also benefit because the visitors need to eat and drink.” And, honestly, there’s not a lot to do and see in Arlington outside of the games. “You’ve got a very good point. And yes, I have walked by these facilities in Arlington, and it’s not exactly a hub of life or very pe- destrian-friendly. I mean, there are other pedestrian-friendly ar- eas where people will cluster. I think visitors will explore the wider zones. They’ll try out some of the other locations like Uptown, Deep Ellum, The Arts District and downtown. So they’ll get out and about, but you’re right, that concentration in Arlington prob- ably is a missed opportunity.” So that opens up opportunities to other parts of North Texas ... “Yeah, that’s right. And they may not go to all the games either. So some might go to one or two games in Arlington, but then they’re relying on the fan zone at Fair Park and kind of hanging out there a bit more, or going out and about to other cool areas. Or maybe more upscale ones that are easier to access by metro [DART] or just more walkable.” What level of impact could businesses see? “There’s going to be very high spending by both the domestic and about 50% international visitors that are coming to town. And I’m sure you’ve seen the figures about 100,000 per day, which will be up to three and a half million over the course of the tournament.” What are some key things restaurants should start working on now? “Social media — getting active on social media [is important]. Build that visibility. And know that a lot of the visitors are really quite unfamiliar with the landscape of Dallas and Fort Worth, and they need help through all the clutter.” Get staffed up? “Obviously, there’ll be a bit of a labor shortage because of the huge spike in demand, so restaurants need to make sure that they lock in their workforce well in advance. Back of house as well as front of house, because on peak days, there will be pressure on wages as well.” Portion control? “And then just being aware that international guests may have different perspectives. So, if they’ve never been to Texas, maybe they’re not used to the Texas-sized portions. I’ve only been in Texas for four years, but I’ve certainly struggled with the very large portions and had to get used to choosing something, a Even when just watching the World Cup on TV, soccer fans in Dallas are fired up. Mike Brooks 14 DALLAS OBSERVER • CRAVE 2026
