From June to July, 48 countries from around the world gathered across 16 North American cities for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The NTTO air traveler survey says 4.6% of overseas air visitors caught a World Cup game or fan event between April and June. Cross-border trips picked up too: Statistics Canada reports U.S. residents made 3 million trips to Canada in June 2026, up 6.1%.
To see how the 2026 World Cup affected restaurant activity, we pulled 7shifts data from 2,000+ restaurants in U.S. and Canadian host cities.
Game days paid off, and noon kickoffs paid off most
The 2026 World Cup lifted restaurant sales on match days in every host city, with game-day lifts of up to 115% over a normal day. Noon-kickoff match days drove nearly 3x more total sales than any other kickoff time, according to 7shifts data. Staffing held up, too: no-show rates improved in seven of eight high-volume host cities compared with 2025.
Who played mattered as well. Portugal matches drove the highest restaurant sales in the 7shifts sample, 35% more than Germany matches.
These findings come from aggregated 7shifts data across more than 2,000 same-store restaurants in U.S. and Canadian host cities during the 2026 tournament. No-show comparisons cover host cities with 500+ shifts in 2025, measured against that year.
| ~3x | Up to +115% | 7 | +35% |
|---|---|---|---|
| Noon kickoff match day sales vs. other kickoff times | Game-day sales vs. a normal day | High-volume host cities that saw improved no-show rates | Portugal match sales vs. Germany matches |
Wider data on the World Cup impact on restaurants points the same way. A Bank of America Institute analysis found host-city card spending rose around 5% year over year, with restaurants and bars as the clearest beneficiaries. Bank of America also found spending by non-locals was up more than 17%, while the national effect was more modest.
What drove restaurant sales during the World Cup
Restaurant sales during the World Cup varied depending on when matches kicked off and who was playing. That’s good news for planning for future sports events. You know both the kickoff time and the matchup weeks ahead, so you can build each one into your schedule.
Noon kickoffs: $30.5M vs. $10.7M
Match days with a noon local kickoff brought in $30.5 million in host-city restaurant sales, according to 7shifts data. Match days with a 7 p.m. kickoff brought in $10.7 million.
Across same-store restaurants, noon-kickoff match days generated nearly 3x more total sales than match days with any other kickoff time. After adjusting for the number of locations, noon kickoffs drove about 3.1x more sales per restaurant than 7 p.m. kickoffs.
A possible explanation is that a noon kickoff coincides with the lunch daypart. Fans who come in for the match may then stay well into the afternoon.
The practical move is to plan your dayparts around kickoff times and other event start times. Our restaurant sales forecasting guide shows how to build event days into your daypart sales forecast.
Game days beat normal days in every host city
Every major host city in the 7shifts sample posted higher restaurant sales on game days than on normal days. The biggest game-day lift reached 115%.
Tournament-wide results were more uneven. A Missouri Restaurant Association survey of 39 businesses (116 locations) in the Kansas City metro area found 51.3% reported an overall decline in revenue. The same survey found match days produced the strongest activity.
The uptick for host city restaurant sales sat on match days, so staff for match days specifically.
If you run more than one location, each store will see its own game-day pattern. Use 7shifts to forecast sales across locations and give every store its own plan.
Portugal matches drew the biggest crowds
Portugal matches drove the highest restaurant sales in 7shifts data. Those match days brought in 35% more than Germany matches.
Matchups matter because fan bases and local diaspora communities shift demand. A team with a big local following can bring in a crowd your usual forecast won’t predict.
When you build game-day schedules, check who’s playing along with the date. Then add coverage for the matchups your guests care about most.
How restaurant teams showed up during the World Cup
Bigger rushes put more pressure on restaurant teams. We believe great teams drive restaurant success, and the World Cup put that to the test. 7shifts data shows teams held up better than they did last year.
No-show rates improved in all high-volume cities
7shifts looked at host cities with substantial workforce activity, meaning 500+ shifts in 2025. In seven of the eight cities, no-show rates improved during the 2026 World Cup compared with 2025. The improvements ranged from 1 to 22 percentage points.
Operators who stay ahead of no-shows watch patterns of lates, no-shows, and reliability for each employee. With 7shifts, you can track no-shows and late punches and spot patterns before a big event.
When someone does miss a shift, you need coverage fast. Every minute a shift sits open during a game day is a minute your floor runs short. Restaurant scheduling software helps you fill open shifts quickly, so the rush doesn’t land on a short-staffed team.
Did restaurants hire more workers?
National data gives some context here. Keep in mind that it covers more than restaurants, and it doesn’t tie any of its figures to the World Cup.
In the June jobs report, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics said leisure and hospitality employment fell by 61,000 in June 2026. The bureau linked the drop to weaker-than-usual seasonal hiring.
Fewer workers left their jobs over the same months. According to BLS JOLTS quits data, as of the September 29, 2026 release, the accommodation and food services quits rate was 4.2 in May 2026. It fell to 4.1 in June and 3.7 in July, then 3.5 in August (preliminary).
The national numbers don’t show a hiring wave during the tournament. We can guess that most operators likely ran the rush with the team they already had. That makes reliability and smart scheduling the levers you control. A team that shows up for every shift can carry a big match day.
For multi-location groups, this also means looking at reliability store by store. One location with a no-show problem can drag down a strong game day across your whole group.
Lessons for the next big event
The World Cup is over, but its lessons carry forward. You can check future match days, playoff runs, and local events in advance and expect a rush.
Use the World Cup data as your playbook for staffing for big events. Here’s how to turn it into a plan.
Build your schedule around kickoff time and matchup
Start with the daypart that overlaps the event. For a noon kickoff, that means adding staff to lunch and keeping enough people on into the afternoon.
Next, pull last year’s sales by shift and line them up with your event calendar. That shows you which days and dayparts ran hot last time. Our restaurant staff scheduling tips cover how to match your schedule to real demand. For marquee matchups, add on-call coverage. If a big crowd shows up, you can call in help without scrambling.
Post game-day schedules early so your team can plan around them. Then give staff shift swap tools and restaurant team communication tools so they can trade shifts and confirm coverage in one place.
Game-day staffing checklist
| Factor | What to adjust |
|---|---|
| Kickoff time | Add staff to the daypart that overlaps the match, such as lunch for a noon kickoff. |
| Matchup | Add on-call coverage for marquee matchups with big local fan bases. |
| No-show risk | Post schedules early, check each employee’s reliability, and line up backup coverage. |
Plan hiring and watch-party demand early
If your current team can’t cover the rush, start hiring early. 7shifts recommends recruiting 60 to 120 days before an expected rush, and our guide to hiring for busy season walks through the steps. Visitors matter too. According to the National Restaurant Association summer report, 30% of sales at a typical restaurant come from tourists.
Watch parties are another chance to fill seats. In the same National Restaurant Association report, 32% of surveyed consumers said they’d likely attend restaurant-hosted watch parties around major events like the World Cup.
Plan watch parties around the matchups your guests care about most. Then give guests a reason to come back after the final whistle, like a reservation for the next match.
FAQs
Which host cities saw the strongest restaurant sales during the 2026 World Cup?
Every host city in the 7shifts sample saw higher restaurant sales on game days, with game-day lifts of up to 115% over a normal day. Bank of America card data named Kansas City among the top gainers, with card spending up 7%.
Did the 2026 World Cup boost restaurant employment?
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported leisure and hospitality jobs fell by 61,000 in June 2026, citing weak seasonal hiring. 7shifts data shows a different gain: no-show rates improved in seven out of eight high-volume host cities.
Did the World Cup create new spending or just shift it?
Bank of America found clear spending gains in host cities but a more modest effect nationally. That pattern is consistent with spending shifting toward host cities.
Methodology
Analysis based on ~2,400 active 7shifts restaurant locations across 13 FIFA World Cup 2026 host cities. City-level statistics limited to markets with 100+ participating locations. No-show comparisons cover cities with 500+ shifts in 2025. Stadium-adjacent markets in NYC, Boston, Miami, and LA metros have limited sample sizes. Sales by team reflect group stage and early knockout matches only.
Data Source & Sample
This analysis uses aggregated and anonymized 7shifts data from approximately 2,400 active restaurant locations operated by ~1,800 companies across the 13 FIFA World Cup 2026 host cities in the United States and Canada.
City-Level Filters
- Game-day lift statistics include only host cities with 100+ participating restaurant locations to ensure statistical reliability
- Included: Toronto, Houston, Atlanta, Seattle, Vancouver, Philadelphia, Kansas City
No-Show Rate Comparisons
- Limited to host cities with 500+ shifts scheduled to ensure meaningful year-over-year comparison
- Included: Toronto, Houston, Atlanta, Vancouver, Philadelphia, Seattle, Kansas City, Arlington
- Seven of eight cities showed improvement; Toronto was the exception
Geographic Scope
This analysis covers restaurants within 7shifts’ host city classifications. Stadium-adjacent markets in the NYC, Boston, Miami, and Los Angeles metro areas have limited sample sizes as the dataset captures restaurants in immediate stadium proximity rather than the broader metropolitan area.
Time Period
- 2026 World Cup Period: June 12 – July 19, 2026 (38 days)
- Pre-World Cup Comparison Period: May 5 – June 11, 2026 (38 days, duration-adjusted)
- Year-over-Year: 2025 World Cup (June 12 – July 19, 2025) vs 2026 World Cup
Justin Holmes, CMO
Justin Holmes
CMO
CMO at 7shifts
