Late-night Argentina-Spain Fifa final fuels business for bars, hotels and delivery apps

This is a Mint Premium article gifted to you.Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.

The Fifa World Cup final is giving restaurants, bars, hotels and food delivery companies something they rarely see after midnight: customers.

Hospitality businesses across India are extending operations where permitted and hosting live screenings as football fans gear up for Sunday's Argentina-Spain clash.

The late-night final is emerging as a significant business opportunity for the hospitality industry, particularly during hours that typically generate little or no revenue. Industry executives said demand is coming both from fans heading to sports bars and restaurants and from consumers hosting watch parties at home.

Several state governments have also announced special measures for the tournament.

In Delhi, licensed restaurants and bars will be allowed to operate till 4 am for the final, while Telangana's Commissioner of Prohibition and Excise has extended operating hours for eligible establishments till 3 am.

In West Bengal, the state government said the Fifa World Cup final between Spain and Argentina would be screened on giant screens across all districts after issuing the necessary orders. Karnataka had issued its orders last week itself.

The National Restaurant Association of India (Nrai) said several licensed restaurants, cafés, pubs, bars, clubs and microbreweries will stay open during the Fifa World Cup final. The industry body said the move would boost business for restaurants and allied sectors such as transport, ride-hailing, logistics, food suppliers and local employment.

“Marquee sporting events like the Fifa final are no longer just entertainment but a big consumption occasion. Several states have extended restaurant hours till 4 AM for the final. We’re expecting a 28-30% jump in sales over a normal day in terms of late night sales across dine-in and delivery,” said Sagar Daryani, founder and chief executive officer (CEO), Wow! Momo.

"At these hours, revenue is virtually zero. So even one rupee is an upside. The final will be very exciting. Wherever we are allowed to operate till late, we remain open," Rahul Singh, founder and chief executive of The Beer Café, which operates over 50 outlets in the country, told Mint.

While the final is expected to boost late-night consumption, hospitality players said revenues are unlikely to match those generated during the IPL final because of football's comparatively smaller fan base in India and the late-night start.

Daryani of Wow! Momo said while the numbers are far lower than what the company did during the IPL, he expects there to be a lot of house parties and ordering as a result. “The England versus Argentina match went off well for us and that’s giving us the confidence. For same store growth, the numbers look to be higher this time as compared to 2022 by almost 12-15%,” he said.

Restaurants and hotels across cities are hosting screenings to draw crowds.

Fairmont Mumbai is organizing a watch party in its ballroom, while venues including The Nook in Mumbai, Quoin at Novotel New Delhi Aerocity and several Crowne Plaza and voco hotels are screening the match.

Abhinav Jindal, founder of beer brand BeeYoung and BeeYoung Brewgarden in Delhi, said the tournament has generated strong demand through the month and expects the final to add 15-20% to the outlet's monthly revenue.

"Tremendous would actually be an understatement. People have been lining up saying they simply have to be here to experience the match. There is massive excitement around the final. Even people who don't normally watch football want to be a part of it," he said.

The rush is also spilling over to food delivery.

Tanveer Kwatra, co-founder of Pan-Asian delivery brand Shoyu, which operates in Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Delhi, said the company expects orders during the final to be 30-40% higher than a typical Sunday as consumers order party meals for home screenings.

"During the Fifa matches this season, we h...