Seattle businesses see revenue boost from World Cup crowds
World Cup soccer fans flood downtown Seattle
The Alliance for Pioneer Square and local business owners told FOX 13 that the World Cup match between Team USA and Australia brought a massive wave of fans and historic sales spikes to downtown establishments.
SEATTLE - Downtown Seattle businesses experienced a massive surge in foot traffic and revenue as crowds gathered for the World Cup match between Team USA and Australia at Seattle Stadium.
Local shop and restaurant owners reported historic sales volumes that significantly surpassed their typical summer averages, driven by thousands of visiting soccer fans.
Surge in Revenue for Local Eateries
The influx of international and domestic sports fans required local establishments to scale up operations to meet the demand. It’s something businesses have been preparing for.
World Cup spectators fill businesses in Downtown Seattle on match day in 2026
At Lady Yum, management increased staffing to keep up with customer volume. "The World Cup has required like five or six people behind the counter during its busiest hours of the day," Elizabeth, a retail associate told FOX 13.
The shop features custom macaron flavors for competing nations—including Egypt, Belgium, and a cherry pie flavor for Team USA—making them the location's most popular item during the rush.
Lady Yum baked items
Pizza sales reach historic highs
At DeLeo Bros. Pizza, customer volume reached unprecedented levels for the business, according to CEO and co-owner John DeLeo.
What they're saying:
"It was exhilarating, it was exciting, it was thrilling. We just felt really blessed," DeLeo said.
DeLeo reported that the shop sold more than 500 pizzas during the rush. On an average Friday, the establishment typically sells between 20 and 50 pizzas. Compared to a standard day, overall sales increased elevenfold during the event.
"We're looking at about 4x in numbers for regular days, and then on a standard game day, we were doing like 6x, and then yesterday we did 11x normal business," DeLeo said.
Pioneer Square records the best day since 2023
According to the Alliance for Pioneer Square, multiple neighborhood establishments recorded historic sales. The one-stop shop Cone & Steiner experienced its highest-grossing day since singer Taylor Swift performed at Lumen Field in July 2023.
"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be able to be around so many supportive people and fans," DeLeo said.
Other nearby businesses reported similar gains. Data from the Alliance for Pioneer Square showed that Parlour Pioneer Square brought in 3.5 times more business than its previous record-high day, which was also set last July.
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