Brownsville restaurant credits World Cup watch parties for jump in sales
A Rio Grande Valley restaurant is crediting the World Cup for a boost in summer sales after Spain was crowned champion.
Ramses Tacos & Tequilas in Brownsville invited customers to watch matches throughout the tournament. The restaurant showed all 48 matches so everyone had a place to watch.
When fan favorites like Mexico and the U.S. played, the restaurant saw bigger crowds. To keep up, they brought on extra staff.
Restaurant Manager Gabriel Exinia told Channel 5 News the restaurant saw a 30% jump in sales compared to May.
Exinia said the restaurant normally runs a staff of around 20 to 25 front-of-house employees. During the World Cup, that number grew.
"We probably got up to a good 40 to 50 staff," Exinia said. "We had the best season."
Customer Ashok Nair said watching at the restaurant made the experience better than staying home.
"I just wanted to be with the fans, and it's like another zone; it's a better experience than the one you get in front of your TV at home," Nair said.
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