KSHB 41 reporter La’Nita Brooks covers stories in Kansas City, Missouri, and stories offering solutions on crime. Share your story idea with La’Nita.
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Some Kansas City businesses are seeing record crowds during the FIFA World Cup, while others report a sharp drop in sales.
The Granfalloon, a Country Club Plaza restaurant, has been packed with soccer fans alongside its regular customers. Owner Tim Caniglia said the event has exceeded expectations.
"None of us really knew what to expect with the World Cup but so far, it's been nice," Caniglia said.
The crowds have been significant, with large group bookings filling both the indoor space and the patio.
"We had one party that had 70 people. We had another that was Argentina that had 20, and then in addition to that, this place was full and our patio has been full the whole time," Caniglia said.
The experience has been very different on the west side at Bisou. The café owner said the business has seen a 50% drop in sales during the World Cup.
"We've had a severe decline in numbers," Caitlin Benedict said.
Benedict said she initially blamed herself for the slowdown after investing in extra product, produce and staff in anticipation of increased foot traffic.
"I started asking other people. I felt like I was a failure, I was like, 'What did I do wrong,'" Benedict said.
The additional preparations did not pay off the way she had hoped.
"Ended up hiring more employees last month getting prepared for it, required all my staff to be there on those days — no one came," Benedict said.
Benedict said many of her regulars stayed away due to concerns about increased traffic in the area.
She took to social media Wednesday to call for community support, and she said the response made a difference.
"Get out and experience FIFA and support your local businesses because we're the only ones here," Benedict said. "There's not a lot of travelers at all."
Benedict said the volume of visitors fell far short of what businesses had been led to expect.
"What we were told was hundreds of thousands — we didn't get any of that," Benedict said.
Caniglia, meanwhile, said the influx of visitors has been a welcome addition to his usual business.
"They did take over, so it was really nice we've seen a lot more people," Caniglia said.
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