The World Cup Was a Revenue Expansion Opportunity for Restaurants. Did You Catch It?

Hey Reader,

The World Cup ended in dramatic fashion this Sunday, as Spain beat Argentina 1-0 in extra time. Congratulations to Spain, and apologies to the Argentina fans reading this.

But the tournament also brought an interesting development to the restaurant industry: for six weeks, restaurants from quick-service to fine dining started airing the games.

The result was watch parties that rivaled those of sports bars.

While it may seem counterintuitive, the numbers suggest it was worth it.

🔔 THIS WEEK AT A GLANCE

Restaurants broke their own format for the World Cup and it paid off, Domino's rolls out a new campfire-inspired dessert, and Jollibee keeps expanding its U.S. footprint.

🍽️ THE MAIN COURSE

During the World Cup, restaurants that normally have nothing to do with sports bought TVs and dug out old projectors to host watch parties.

In Union Square, a high-end Italian restaurant installed two new screens, with the co-owner describing the result as "a little sports bar."

It may seem counterintuitive to turn a fine-dining experience into a rowdy watch party, but in some markets, the numbers were remarkable.

Boston bars and breweries saw a 28% jump in transaction volume during the tournament's group stage, the largest increase of any U.S. host market tracked.

While some of this performance is attributed to increased tourism, the Federal Reserve also credits hosted watch parties with exceptionally "strong" sales.

So, should you turn your restaurant into a sports bar? Probably not.

But there may be a bigger lesson for restaurant owners, and the importance of being flexible.

For the full story, check out our blog post.

Read the Full Story

💡 TRY THIS TOMORROW

Think of one aspect about your restaurant that feels fixed: a format, a menu category, an hour you're never open. Ask yourself honestly what would happen if you tried breaking that rule for just one night.

Reply to this email and tell me what you find.

🔥 WHAT’S COOKING (Industry News)

→ Domino's Is Bringing Campfire Flavor Indoors — Domino's Rewards members get early access today to a new S'mores Lava Cake, ahead of a full nationwide rollout on July 27. No campfire required. Pizza Marketplace

→ Jollibee Is Betting Big on US Growth — The fried chicken chain just signed three new multi-unit franchise agreements, putting it on track for 330 US locations by 2030. Freestanding locations are already averaging nearly $5 million in annual sales. QSR Web

Want to Learn More?

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Warmly,

Maria Zhang

CEO & Founder, Palona AI

Real World AI

maria@palona.ai