Vancouver restaurants’ see prolonged boost from Canada’s historic World Cup run

The head of B.C.’s Restaurant and Foodservices Association says Canada’s historic run in the World Cup has led to a boom for many Vancouver businesses, as the team’s journey into the round of 16 extends their tournament by at least six more days.

Ian Tostenson says when any World Cup match is being played, bars, pubs and restaurants in the city are seeing more patrons and an uptick in sales.

He compared it to a car “speeding down a highway” and when Canada is on the pitch, it moves at “warp speed.”

The Canadian team has had a historic run in this World Cup, defeating South Africa 1-0 in Los Angeles on Sunday and moving to the round of 16 when it faces Morocco in Houston this Saturday.

Tostenson says he thinks Saturday’s match will be “the ultimate,” noting most bars and restaurants in the city that are planning to stream the game are opening for business around 9 a.m. ahead of the 10 a.m. kickoff.

Jane Talbot, CEO of the Downtown Business Improvement Association, says the atmosphere in Vancouver’s downtown core has been “incredibly positive,” and that “Canada’s run has only added to that momentum.”

“The days that Canada plays, whether they’re in town or they’re somewhere else, it is electric down there,” she says.

Talbot says her team is responsible for the Granville Street pedestrian zone, which spans five blocks.

She says the bars, pubs, clubs and restaurants are all doing very well but noted that every business has a different experience.

“Our pubs are really busy, our restaurants are really busy, our clubs are super busy, you know, record-breaking sales,” she says.

“But not every business is having that same level of success.”

Talbot says the silver lining is that all businesses along the strip are seeing increased foot traffic, “which is great because if they come in and they experience the store once and they like it, they’re likely to come back.”

As the tournament progresses, now in the knockout rounds, there are fewer games being played each day. Talbot says it is only natural that will slow business slightly.

“I don’t think anybody expects the level of crowds that we’ve had for the first two weeks to continue right through the end, but I do think we all expect it to remain a fun, vibrant, exciting place,” she says.