Houston is experiencing an unprecedented influx of visitors as the 2026 FIFA World Cup transforms the city’s downtown into a global soccer hub, but the economic windfall is proving uneven for local business owners. According to Houston’s World Cup Host Committee, the city expects half a million visitors and an economic impact of approximately $1.5 billion across the tournament period.
Hotel data from Houston First Corporation shows bookings up 4.6 percent in June and 6.2 percent in July compared to the same period last year. Downtown Houston is seeing the most dramatic increase, with a 54 percent jump in July bookings alone, according to ABC13 Houston. The numbers reflect the city’s investment in infrastructure and marketing to position itself as a premier World Cup host city, alongside other venues across the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
Bars and restaurants near Shell Energy Stadium have been ramping up for weeks. Matthew Mejia, manager at Chapman & Kirby in East Downtown, told ABC13 that the bar hired approximately 75 additional bartenders and 50-plus servers to handle the anticipated surge. “We’ve been working hard on making sure all our food and liquor suppliers—we’re going to have enough product for everybody,” Mejia said. The bar also secured additional inventory storage and reconfigured its layout to accommodate larger crowds.
Mejia acknowledged that the World Cup presents a unique operational challenge compared to typical large events in Houston. “It’s going to be a big learning curve throughout the first week for us. We might have to make some adjustments after that first week,” he said. “We kind of know what to expect, but we’re ready for whatever happens.”
However, not all businesses are sharing equally in the World Cup bounty. Andreas Hager, co-owner of Koffeteria, a coffee shop on Hutchins Street in East Downtown, reported that the first day of the FIFA Fan Festival was one of his slowest days. Road closures and limited parking tied to the event kept regular customers away.
“We aren’t here to be kill-joys, but this is a really difficult process for us,” Hager told ABC13 Houston. “We feel like we’ve been left out of the conversation.” Hager said sales on opening day were only half of their usual volume, despite thousands of fans passing by on their way to the Fan Festival.
The Houston Fire Department reported responding to more than 20 heat-related incidents at the FIFA Fan Festival on its opening afternoon, underscoring the logistical challenges of hosting such a massive outdoor event during a Texas summer. The festival reached capacity by early afternoon, turning away thousands of fans who had gathered near Shell Energy Stadium. Many of those turned-away fans wandered the surrounding streets, but few ventured into nearby small businesses.
Neighbor Wendy Jones told ABC13 that she visited Koffeteria after hearing about the slowdown. “They haven’t had much business; it’s been slower than normal because they’re closing down roads,” Jones said. “I was even told by a police officer that Hutchins was closed for pedestrians.” Hutchins Street is right where Koffeteria’s front doors are located, and it is also where many first responders are stationed.
Hager is asking the city to consider improving access to businesses along the edge of the FIFA Fan Festival footprint. “All the small businesses… they’ve told us basically we’re on our own to find parking, to bring people in. It feels like the city hasn’t thought of us at all,” he said. ABC13 reached out to the City of Houston and is awaiting a response.
The World Cup matches in Houston are part of a broader tournament spanning 16 stadiums across the United States, Mexico, and Canada. The final is scheduled for July 19 at New York/New Jersey Stadium. For Houston, the tournament represents a test of the city’s ability to manage large-scale international events while ensuring that the economic benefits extend beyond the immediate footprint of the festivities.
The city has previously hosted major events including the Super Bowl and the NCAA Final Four, but the World Cup’s duration—spanning multiple weeks—presents a different scale of logistical challenge. The extended footprint of the FIFA Fan Festival, which occupies a large section of East Downtown, has created a boundary between the event zone and established businesses that rely on regular foot traffic.
For businesses that are well-positioned, the World Cup is delivering as promised. Hotels, restaurants within the festival zone, and transportation services are seeing strong demand. For those on the margins of the event zone, the experience has been more complicated—a reminder that mega-events bring both opportunity and disruption to the communities that host them. As Houston looks ahead to the remainder of the tournament, the city faces the challenge of maximizing the economic benefits while minimizing the unintended consequences for the small businesses that form the backbone of the local economy.
