B.C. Place's white roof rises above Frankie's Italian Kitchen & Bar, where the patio is decked out in blue FIFA-emblazoned table umbrellas and banners with mini flags from around the world. Although the stadium entrance beside the restaurant will be closed on game days, as will Beatty Street where it is located, manager Colin Campos believes his restaurant will score many diners before and after the seven games being played in Vancouver.
"A lot of people are already calling," Campos said. "Everybody wants the experience because it's the first time the World Cup has come here."
Mixed Feelings Among Businesses
At Catch 122 Cafe Bistro near North Vancouver's waterfront, manager Ana Alcantara is also optimistic, but with a more cautious approach. The restaurant will feature a special World Cup-related pastry and offer a picnic package for people flocking to Canada Soccer House, being staged next door at The Shipyards. However, it likely won't be until after Vancouver's opening match on June 13 that the restaurant will have a clearer picture of the extra staff needed, how customers navigate closed streets, and the spillover effect from Canada Soccer House.
"We expect to be busy, but there are a lot of question marks," Alcantara said.
Divergent Opinions on Economic Impact
Across Metro Vancouver, businesses and residents are bracing for the world's biggest soccer tournament, running from June 11 to July 19. While some fully embrace the FIFA-related fervour, others anticipate a "gong show" of traffic gridlock and inconveniences. Opinions are divided on the potential economic windfall: will thousands of expected fans flood local eateries and buy souvenir T-shirts, or will closed roads and restrictions keep people away?
Fewer tourists than originally anticipated have booked hotel rooms in Vancouver for the tournament. This month's hotel occupancy across the Lower Mainland is about nine per cent lower than June 2025, and it's worse downtown at 15 per cent behind, according to the B.C. Hotel Association. "Despite its global profile, FIFA has not generated the broad hotel demand many expected," the association said in a statement.
Mitigation Efforts and Uncertain Outcomes
Several Metro municipalities, along with local business and community organizations, say they are trying to mitigate impacts to businesses and inconveniences to residents near FIFA events. But the pros and cons of Vancouver being a World Cup host city may not become clear until after the opening kickoff.
The area most affected by World Cup-related restrictions will be near B.C. Place, where a stretch of Pacific Boulevard is closed through the end of July. On the seven game days, a dozen or so roads near the stadium will be blocked off, and additional routes will be restricted to local traffic.
