11 May 7–13, 2026 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents World, Meet Deep Ellum Could the World Cup help Deep Ellum busi- ness owners turn the corner? BY AUSTIN WOOD S ome Deep Ellum business own- ers are uncertain about exactly what the plan is for the World Cup this summer. Others aren’t too worried about it. One thing they all agree on is that it’s an opportunity for the entertainment district to gain some momentum. North Texas is expected to host millions of visitors during the tournament’s nearly two- month run. Sweden and Czechia are making the region their home base for the tourna- ment. The area’s nine scheduled matches are more than any other host city and will be played at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, which is being renamed Dallas Stadium for the World Cup under FIFA licensing rules. Officials estimate the tournament could generate up to $2.1 billion in economic im- pact throughout North Texas. And if there’s a neighborhood that could use some busi- ness right now, it’s Deep Ellum. Dallas has a somewhat mercurial relation- ship with the neighborhood. Up or down. Trendy or dangerous. Between seemingly endless construction that has torn up Com- merce Street and well-publicized public safety issues, the last few years have been tough for business owners. At least 30 restaurants, bars and music halls have closed since 2020. But several have opened lately. The city has a new crime-reduction plan that puts more police officers on the street, and a few owners have said they’ve seen a difference. Recently redesignated as a ‘Restaurant Row’ to help revitalize the street, Commerce could fully reopen as an expanded through- fare with wider sidewalks by the end of the year, offering a light at the end of the tunnel for the neighborhood. And in the meantime, the World Cup may give businesses the adrenaline shot they need during typically slow summer months. The Beautiful Game on Elm? J eff Biehler owns Dusty’s, the music- forward second iteration of Cheap- steaks that debuted last August. It’s located on Elm Street, and he says Dusty’s is in the “suburbs” of the neighborhood and hasn’t been affected as much by construc- tion or crime, which, in his opinion, has im- proved with the expanded police presence. “I see a lot of positive things down there. From my point of view, I think these busi- nesses are all going to hopefully thrive from it,” Biehler says. “I think it’ll be good. There’s a lot of people talking about it, and I think it’ll be really good for the economy.” He says his business is still working on picking up customers, but thinks the neigh- borhood itself is starting to show signs of life. “That’s already happening, and so I think that, yeah, maybe this could be a jumpstart to that. Maybe this could be the CPR needed to get it going,” Bielher says. The plans for Dusty’s so far include hir- ing more staff to handle larger crowds, po- tentially changing karaoke night to feature World Cup themes and getting a projector to show the games. Past that, however, Biehler says there’s not much else he has in the works right now. “I don’t know what else,” he says. “I mean, honestly, there’s not a lot of prepara- tion we can do besides staffing and just get- ting ready to present things on TV for them.” ‘Nobody’s Giving Me a Roadmap’ P ete Zotos of St. Pete’s Flying Marlin also hasn’t gotten that far. But unlike Biehler, he’s more apprehensive about the lack of information he’s received. “I’m scared that my best foot’s not going to be put forward because I don’t know enough,” Zotos says. He says liquor distributors have yet to con- tact him about plans for the tournament, and he hasn’t received any promotional materials to market the bar to international visitors. “Nobody’s giving me a roadmap,” he says. He’s also unsure whether or not he’ll add an automatic gratuity or charge more for a “World Cup Fee,” as he calls it, during the summer. “My daughter, who’s in the food business, is like, ‘What are you doing with your menu? Are you going to pare it down? Are you going to make it easier for people to understand from different countries? Are you going to add the World Cup fee?’ I’ve heard some restaurants are like, ‘We’re going to change our menu and add 15% because we can,’ and so I’m not even sure about that kind of stuff.” As reported by the local CBS affiliate, several Kansas City business owners are planning to add an automatic gratuity for the World Cup. Closer to home, the Ob- server reported recently that price increases in restaurants are likely inevitable as busi- ness owners grapple with declining sales, in- flation and skyrocketing rents. Zotos sees an opportunity for economic relief in Deep Ellum, where he says he has “been getting beat up for the last year and a half” with construction, but remains un- clear on just how many fans will walk down Commerce Street come June and July. “It might be a great opportunity where it just evens out to where you have a good month instead of a shitty month,” he says. “I wish I had a crystal ball to know exactly how many people that means.” Not Sweating the Summer M ost restaurants and hospitality venues go through a summer downturn as customers travel and temperatures become uncomfortable. That effect is especially felt in Deep El- lum, says JR Munoz, owner of Will Call Bar, Right Side Pizza and Every Ellum Clothing. “June and July ... typically are the hardest months in Deep Ellum. Summertime is too hot, all the excuses that you could give on why it’s so slow out there during the summer, but [I’m] looking forward to actually having business this summer, rather than struggling waiting for football season to come.” Crime spikes in June and July have hurt business in Deep Ellum during the summer months. But Munoz says the issue has been overblown, and he isn’t as worried about the situation during the World Cup. “The city’s given so much attention to the World Cup, and I don’t think they want any- thing bad to happen to the reputation of the city,” Munoz says. “So I think security is go- ing to be ramped up.” The Dallas Police Department recently received $22 million in grant funding | CITY OF ATE | t Dish Andrew Sherman Will Call in Deep Ellum is planning its menus and hours around World Cup matches. >> p12 Andrew Sherman Dusty’s owner Jeff Biehler thinks Deep Ellum will come alive with the World Cup.
