Kansas City-area businesses share varied experiences during World Cup

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The Missouri Restaurant Association surveyed over 30 businesses representing 116 locations in and around Kansas City, Missouri, about their experiences during the FIFA World Cup.

Kansas City served as one of 16 host cities during the tournament.

The economic survey included restaurants, breweries, bars and coffee shops in major business districts in the metro, and the responses were mixed.

"If you're a barbecue restaurant or located around power and light or Fan Fest, you probably did very well. But the outerbound municipalities and districts didn't see travel really materialize like we hope and were promised for," Trey Meyers with the Missouri Restaurant Association told KSHB 41's Caitlin Knute.

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More than half of the businesses said business was slower than expected — nearly six in 10 said the overall economic impact was negative.

Others reported success, especially on match days and at spots that attracted international travelers — 41% saw some increase in international visitors during the tournament, per the report.

"A lot of local businesses were willing to do whatever they could to elevate themselves and the city on the world stage, and a lot of them just felt like they didn't have the opportunity to do that," Meyers said.

Overall, businesses said they thought the World Cup in Kansas City was a positive experience for the area.

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The survey said businesses commonly cited these benefits.:

• Meeting international visitors
• Increased activity during match days
• Community excitement
• Brand exposure and promotional opportunities

"This is the first international event the city has hosted, so we now have a baseline and a foundation for us to alter business strategies and be more effective when we plan these, hopefully more of these large international events in the future," Meyers said.

The association said in its report that it hopes the findings can be a resource for officials in Kansas City for future large-scale events.

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