For weeks, 23ABC has brought you stories about the chaos that comes with the World Cup. But as all 3 host countries are out, things have changed here locally.
Rock and Wings on niles street was once filled with energy, turning into a standing room only venue.
But now, the electric atmosphere that once filled every seat has faded, leaving behind only a small group of loyal fans.
Owner Miguel Sanchez says the dramatic slowdown comes down to one thing: who’s still left in the tournament.
“Yes, the big factor is Mexico and the US are no longer in the World Cup,” said Sanchez. “You’ll get a few gentlemen that are here specifically for the game but nobody is going out of their way to come.”
Sanchez says the drop-off has been impossible to ignore. He says the restaurant once saw revenue spike by 300% to 400% during Mexico matches, but now, fewer customers are staying through entire games.
And Rock and Wings isn’t alone. Leonardo Mattana, manager at So Cal Grilling in southwest Bakersfield, says they’ve also seen a noticeable decline in crowds and revenue since Mexico and the United States were eliminated from the tournament.
When it was Mexico and the US playing we knew we were gonna be packed we wee getting calls all day long for reservations, families coming in but now we haven’t had a lot of calls for reservations for the games or even people coming in,” said Mattana.
However, there are some die-hard soccer fans still showing up, fans like Nick Silva who says even though Mexico is out, he returns to the parties for the atmosphere.
“The best part was the environment, just being around friends and family, thats the best part,” said Silva.
It’s for that reason that both owners say, they’ll be continuing the trend of hosting their watch parties.
Although the host countries are out, World Cup fever is far from over with the final game scheduled for July 19.
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