What to know
- Businesses in Liberty Village are preparing for a surge of visitors as Toronto hosts its first World Cup match on Friday.
- Italian restaurant NODO is installing additional TVs and sound systems, extending operating hours and launching a pop-up gelato cart to cater to fans.
- SCHOOL, known as a gathering place for Dutch supporters, is introducing a FIFA-themed menu, serving traditional Dutch snacks and upgrading its viewing screens.
- Merci Mon Ami is taking a more flexible approach, assessing demand after the first match while installing TVs for sports broadcasts for the first time in its history.
- Business owners say they are stocking up on food, drinks and staff while expecting an energetic atmosphere and visitors from around the world.
The World Cup is kicking off in Toronto on Friday, with thousands of fans expected to head to the Toronto Stadium to watch Canada versus Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Now Toronto spoke with businesses in Liberty Village, right at the centre of the tournament, about what they are doing to prepare for the added demand and excitement of the event.
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‘We’re feeling the buzz already’: Fully embracing the World Cup
Said to be the only authentic Italian restaurant near the Toronto Stadium, NODO is fully embracing the soccer spirit.
Nora Alvarez, an Events Manager at the restaurant, said the soccer vibes are already on at NODO, with 10 TVs and a whole surround sound system being installed across the Liberty Village location to allow for games to be streamed.
In addition to streaming all of the World Cup matches, NODO will also lead a pop-up gelato cart, which will be located at 30 Hanna Ave. The restaurant will also have extended hours to accommodate the games, staying open from 11 a.m. until late night.
“We’re expecting pretty high energy. As you can see, we already are feeling the buzz. We do expect we’re going to have a lot of people,” Alvarez said.
“We’re fully prepared, though. We have a beautiful big bar, we’re bringing all [the] staff from all locations, and we’re going to have a DJ.”
‘We take it pretty seriously’: Local restaurant supports Dutch team
The energy is certainly high at local restaurant SCHOOL, where staff are used to hosting soccer events, including World Cup screenings.
One of the restaurant’s owners is Dutch and grew up among the Dutch community, so team members are looking forward to hosting excited fans to watch the Netherlands play.
“We take it pretty seriously here. We always say that we paint the restaurant orange. We have our orange umbrellas, our flags. We try to get all of our stuff in orange. We really have become the one of the hubs for the Dutch team,” Temma Katzman, a server and support staff member at SCHOOL said.
For the duration of the World Cup, SCHOOL will feature a custom FIFA menu, which will include sharable treats for those coming to the restaurant to watch a game. In addition, they’ll also be serving bitterballen, a classic Dutch treat consisting of a fried gravy ball.
The restaurant also recently got new screens in preparation for the event, where they will play all the matches in 4K.
“We’re getting stocked on beer, we’re getting stocked on drinks, getting as stocked as humanly possible, and we’re just trying to raise the spirits and get everyone, all the staff, situated,” Katzman said.
Besides Dutch fans, Katzman says SCHOOL is expecting to receive fans from all over the world, including those who choose to have no ties to the Netherlands, but still choose to support the team, which includes herself.
“It’s the event that I love the most. That’s how I started working here, was for the FIFA event, and it’s always for the Dutch, always for the orange…I’m not sure which came first, the love of the Netherlands or the love of orange, but it’s all meant to be.”
‘We’ll play it by ear’: Slowly adapting World Cup game plan
For local modern bistro and caterer Merci Mon Ami, the strategy for the World Cup will be to “play it by ear” and slowly adapt to the event.
With this being the first time Canada will host the event, co-owner Kevin McDougall said staff will assess the service during the first Toronto Stadium match on Friday, and work out any changes they might need to make to adapt.
This will also be the first time the local eatery will ever be streaming sporting events. Being located in Liberty Village since 2007, Merci Mon Ami was built on the idea of fostering community conversations, encouraging patrons to interact without the use of devices such as cell phones or TVs.
But with the matches coming to Toronto, they are now installing TVs in the restaurant to allow guests to watch select games.
“We’re excited to see [and] meet many different people, different cultures. It’s gonna be a lot of good energy down here,” McDougall said.
During the World Cup, McDougall said the shop will feature its regular menu, which mainly consists of sandwiches and salads made from scratch from fresh ingredients. In addition, they will be featuring a takeout bar in their patio, serving souvlaki and pita sandwiches, as well as wine and poutine.
Although the restaurant’s co-owner said that he is cheering for Canada to score the tournament, he said he’s also seen excitement for other teams.
“There’s a lot of big teams coming, a lot of excitement. Like I said, we have customers from all different areas, and there’s different excitement from different teams.”
