Mike Brooks
Audio By Carbonatix
From mid-June through mid-July, soccer fans from around the world will descend on North Texas. Nine games — or matches, as they like to say — will be played at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. But, media from around the world will set up shop at the International Broadcast Center (IBC) at the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center. Fair Park will host a fan festival where up to 35,000 fans can watch matches live.
We spoke with Brian King, Ph.D., head of the Alpin Department of Hospitality, Hotel Management and Tourism at Texas A&M University, on how restaurants should prepare. He’s had experience with these large events and how they impact regions. He notes that this is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the Dallas dining scene.
A few key points:
- 3.8 million visitors are expected to visit North Texas during the FIFA World Cup.
- AT&T Stadium will host nine games.
- Fair Park will host a fan festival where up to 35,000 fans can watch every game.
- The International Broadcast Center at Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in downtown will host around 2,000 media representatives from around the world.
- Toyota Stadium in Frisco and Mansfield Stadium are Team Base Camp training sites, each hosting four teams each.
- An Airbnb study estimates that travelers will spend as much money on dining out as on accommodations.
- The Michigan Journal of Economics estimates visitors to Dallas could generate between $1.5 and $2.1 billion in regional economic activity.
Here’s our conversation with Dr. King on how Dallas restaurants should prep, plus a couple of pitfalls to avoid.
Who Needs to Prep?
DO: Should every restaurant in North Texas be ready, or just those near AT&T Stadium?
King: “Obviously, it depends a lot on where restaurants are located across DFW and whether there’s a lot of foot traffic. But I think that those that are in the kind of walkable areas, probably there’s going to be like a 40% increase in business during that period on a daily basis.”
DO: Well, hotels are everywhere, though, so it seems like the 3.8 million visitors could really be spread out?
King: “I was reading the Deloitte report on Airbnb about how cities across the U.S. would be impacted. And one of the things that it noted was that hotels are quite concentrated. So they’re typically closer to the downtown area, for example, and there’ll be some in Arlington, etc.
“But a fair proportion of the visitors, because there’s a shortage of capacity, will stay in Airbnbs across the metroplex. So that means that restaurants that are not close to the stadiums or the main activity can also benefit because the visitors need to eat and drink.”
DO: And, honestly, there’s not a lot to do and see in Arlington outside of the games.
King: “You’ve got a very good point. And yes, I have walked by these facilities in Arlington, and it’s not exactly a hub of life or very pedestrian-friendly. I mean, there are other pedestrian-friendly areas where people will cluster. I think visitors will explore the wider zones. They’ll try out some of the other locations like Uptown, Deep Ellum, The Arts District and downtown. So they’ll get out and about, but you’re right, that concentration in Arlington probably is a missed opportunity.”
DO: So that opens up opportunities to other parts of North Texas …
King: “Yeah, that’s right. And they may not go to all the games either. So some might go to one or two games in Arlington, but then they’re relying on the fan zone at Fair Park and kind of hanging out there a bit more, or going out and about to other cool areas. Or maybe more upscale ones that are easier to access by metro [DART] or just more walkable.”
DO: What level of impact could businesses see?
King: “There’s going to be very high spending by both the domestic and about 50% international visitors that are coming to town. And I’m sure you’ve seen the figures about 100,000 per day, which will be up to three and a half million over the course of the tournament.”
Tips for Making the Mo$t of It
DO: What are some key things restaurants should start working on now?
King: “Social media — getting active on social media [is important]. Build that visibility. And know that a lot of the visitors are really quite unfamiliar with the landscape of Dallas and Fort Worth, and they need help through all the clutter.”
Get Staffed Up
King: “Obviously, there’ll be a bit of a labor shortage because of the huge spike in demand, so restaurants need to make sure that they lock in their workforce well in advance. Back of house as well as front of house, because on peak days, there will be pressure on wages as well.”
Are you saying we’re fat?
King: “And then just being aware that international guests may have different perspectives. So, if they’ve never been to Texas, maybe they’re not used to the Texas-sized portions. I’ve only been in Texas for four years, but I’ve certainly struggled with the very large portions and had to get used to choosing something, a starter instead of an entree.”
Sprechen zeee doich?
King: “Finally, the language. Attracting international visitors, let’s say it’s Argentina, they’re Spanish speakers, then a restaurant will want to be kind of prepared for that, I think, as best they can.”
DO: So, maybe more pictures?
King: “Yeah.”
DO: Any major pitfalls to avoid?
King: “Watch out for price gouging. One thing: food is a very important way to get people to want to come back and experience new things. So even though they might think these are just one-off visitors, a large proportion of them will choose to come back and explore the destination again.
“So, that reputation, if you’re seen as ripping off the customers, then these days of social media, that will get around pretty fast.”
When I Tip, You Tip, We Tip …
DO: What about tipping? Americans tip more than other parts of the world, right?
King: “Yes, certainly. All the places I’ve lived previously around the world certainly did not have 20% or higher as a standard. So I think it’s hard to understand how these international visitors will approach it; they’ll bring their own value sets. So forcing it down their throats is not going to go well. And if we’re relying exclusively on technology, they may hesitate. So I think giving diner-friendly advice or messaging about tips is greatly appreciated, but not compulsory.”
DO: Hum. That’s a tough one because even most Americans think tipping has gotten out of hand.
King: “I think visitors will generally be in a generous mood because it’s a whole celebratory environment, but if they’re used to just rounding out … like when I lived in Australia and we didn’t have tipping, typically it was just rounding up, not adding 20%. So make guests feel very welcome, remember they’re out of their comfort zone, but are excited, of course.”
DO: But no one wants to be made a sucker at any point, like tipping on top of a tip. Or a diner walking out without tipping. I feel like it’s going to be on restaurants to be really clear and transparent, right?
King: “Yes, if you’ve got larger groups and then there’s already 20% on top, then asking for tips beyond that is almost price gouging. It’s taking advantage of the vulnerability of the visitors.”
“This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to really show service excellence and to really present Texas in a really positive way. And I remember Dallas hosted the World Cup in 1994, almost 30 years ago, Texas was half the population then. It’s much more sophisticated now. The culinary scene is much, much richer now, so it’s onwards and upwards.”
