It’s just my opinion…
Burbank’s decision to host a World Cup Fan Zone is being promoted as an exciting opportunity to bring soccer fans together and put the city on the international stage. On paper, that sounds like a great idea. The World Cup is one of the largest sporting events in the world, and communities everywhere are looking for ways to capitalize on the excitement.
But there is a question that Burbank’s leaders should be answering: At what cost to Burbank’s local restaurants and small businesses?
According to the city’s promotional materials, fans can purchase tickets for approximately $28.44 to attend a watch party featuring a giant LED screen, full sound, communal seating, and access to food and beverage vendors. What the ticket does not include is any food, drinks, or other significant amenities. Essentially, attendees are paying nearly $30 for the opportunity to watch a game in a large public setting.
For many residents, that raises an obvious question: Why pay $28.44 just to watch a soccer match when dozens of Burbank restaurants will likely be showing the same game for free?
At a local restaurant, customers can enjoy multiple televisions, table service, a comfortable environment, air conditioning, permanent restrooms, and a menu they already know. They can arrive, order food, and enjoy the game without paying an admission fee. Most importantly, their spending directly supports local business owners who have invested heavily in Burbank.
Those business owners have endured some of the toughest years in recent memory. Many restaurants barely survived the COVID-19 pandemic. Rising labor costs, inflation, increased food prices, higher rents, and growing operating expenses continue to challenge the industry. Nationally, restaurant failure rates remain high, particularly during the first few years of operation.
That’s why major sporting events can be so important.
Restaurants often depend on a handful of key days each year to boost revenue. Super Bowl Sunday, Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day, graduation season, and other major events can generate significant business. These are the occasions owners count on to help offset slower periods and maintain profitability.
Instead of directing soccer fans toward Downtown Burbank restaurants, however, the city appears to be creating a competing venue.
Where will the food vendors come from? Will they be local businesses or outside operators? How long will attendees wait in line? Will there be enough seating, enough shade, enough restrooms, and adequate maintenance throughout the event? Those questions remain unanswered for many residents considering whether the experience is worth the cost.
To be clear, there is nothing wrong with creating unique experiences that attract visitors to Burbank. In fact, some of the premium offerings connected to the event make sense. A post-game concert, for example, provides entertainment that local restaurants generally cannot offer. Likewise, a specialty culinary event featuring celebrity chef Geoffrey Zakarian is a distinct experience that appeals to a specific audience willing to pay for something exclusive.
Those attractions complement local businesses rather than directly competing with them.
The concern centers on the basic watch-party package. Charging admission for something that local restaurants already provide for free may unintentionally divert customers away from businesses that pay taxes, employ local residents, and contribute to the city’s economy year-round.
If the city’s goal is to celebrate the World Cup while supporting local commerce, there may have been other ways to accomplish both objectives. Partnerships with Downtown restaurants, restaurant passport programs, coordinated viewing events, or incentives encouraging visitors to dine locally could have created a more collaborative approach.
Instead, many restaurant owners may look at the Fan Zone and wonder why their own city is competing for the same customers on what could be one of the most profitable days of the year.
Burbank has long prided itself on supporting small businesses. The city’s restaurants are part of what gives the community its character and vibrancy. They weathered the pandemic, endured economic uncertainty, and continue to invest in the city despite mounting challenges.
As the World Cup approaches, City Hall should remember that attracting visitors is only part of the equation. Ensuring that local businesses benefit from those visitors is equally important.
Because when the final whistle blows, the restaurants that have served Burbank for years will still be here—and they deserve the city’s support, not its competition.
This is just pathetic.
There will be plenty of opportunities for everyone to “cash in”.
There’s just so much Old White Man Energy in this town it’s grotesque.