Did the World Cup really send consumption soaring in bars and restaurants?
- Aug 27
- 4 min read
At first glance, the answer seems obvious.
Matches watched by millions of people, fans getting together with friends, packed terraces and busy bars… The World Cup looks like the perfect event to drive footfall and sales for restaurants and bars.
And indeed, some matches did generate clear peaks in consumption and activity.
But when you look more closely at the data, the reality is much more nuanced.
Not every match had the same impact. Not every outlet benefited in the same way. And above all, several factors — such as kick-off time, day of the week or venue profile — strongly influenced consumption behaviour.
These are valuable insights for better understanding what really happens during a major event… and for preparing more effectively for the next one.
1. A major event does not automatically guarantee a sales peak
The World Cup naturally creates additional consumption occasions.
But that does not mean every match automatically turns into a record-breaking evening for restaurants and bars.
The data shows that the impact can vary significantly from one moment to another.
Some matches generated more footfall and sales, while others had a much more limited effect.
For venue managers, this is an important first takeaway: planning around an event based solely on its popularity is not enough.
A highly anticipated match may represent a real opportunity, but its potential also depends on the context in which it takes place.
2. Kick-off time and day of the week can change everything
A match shown early in the evening does not necessarily create the same behaviour as one scheduled later at night.
The same applies to a weekday match versus a weekend fixture.
Why?
Because a sporting event fits into existing consumption habits: lunch, after-work drinks, dinner, nights out with friends…
The timing of the event can therefore be almost as important as the event itself.
For venues, this means going beyond a simple assumption such as:
“There’s a big match tonight, so we should expect a lot of people.”
The real question becomes:
“At what point can this match actually change the usual activity of my venue?”
And the operational decisions that follow can be very different: increasing staffing levels, adjusting opening hours, preparing for higher order volumes or, on the contrary, avoiding overestimating the resources needed.
3. Not every venue experiences the World Cup in the same way
Another key takeaway is that the impact of a major event depends heavily on the profile of the venue.
A bar, a traditional restaurant or an outlet focused on other consumption occasions will not necessarily experience the same customer behaviour.
This is exactly why a national or overall average can sometimes be misleading.
Imagine that an event drives consumption upwards overall. That increase may actually hide very different realities: some venues may experience a genuine surge in activity, while others may see little or no change.
For restaurant operators, comparing performance only with a general market trend can therefore provide an incomplete picture.
The comparison becomes far more relevant when it takes into account venue type, location and consumption occasion.
4. Customers do not necessarily consume in the same way during an event
The impact is not only about footfall.
Product categories can also perform very differently depending on the match and the moment.
In other words, more customers do not necessarily mean the same level of growth across the entire menu.
And this is particularly useful information for venue managers.
Understanding what customers actually order during key moments can help operators fine-tune:
stock levels;
the products they choose to highlight;
kitchen or bar preparation;
staffing;
and even specific offers promoted at the right time.
The objective is therefore no longer simply to anticipate how many people may visit, but also what they are likely to consume and when.
From data to operational decision-making
This is ultimately the main lesson from the World Cup.
Knowing that a major event generates traffic is useful.
But understanding which moments actually create activity, how customers consume and which types of venues are most affected is far more valuable for running a business.
And these learnings are not limited to analysing what happened during the World Cup.
They can help operators prepare for future sporting, cultural or local events.
After each major event, a few simple questions can therefore be asked:
Which days and times actually generated additional activity?
Which products or categories benefited most?
Did average spend or purchasing behaviour change?
Did we prepare the right stock levels?
Were staffing levels appropriate?
Which learnings can we apply to the next event?
Over time, every major occasion can become a source of insight for the next one.
World Cup Consumption: How are these trends analysed?
Fyre methodology: the analysis is based on transactions collected directly from venue POS systems.
POS data is structured and enriched by Fyre, then analysed according to several criteria, including consumption moment, location, venue type and product category.
This approach makes it possible to understand what was actually consumed and when, rather than relying solely on impressions or broad market trends.
The real takeaway: look beyond the headline number
The World Cup did generate peaks in consumption across bars and restaurants.
But the data mainly shows that there is no single “World Cup effect” that applies equally to every venue.
The day, the time, the venue profile and consumption habits can all significantly change the outcome.
And that is probably the most useful lesson for restaurant operators: when preparing for a major event, the challenge is not simply to know whether it will generate more footfall.
It is about understanding when, how and through which products that additional footfall can actually turn into incremental business.
Because between a full venue and a truly profitable event, there are still a few decisions to make.
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