Local businesses seeing large crowds during World Cup games, boosting economy

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- The FIFA World Cup is entering its fourth week of play, and some local businesses in El Paso have seen large crowds flocking to their establishments to enjoy the matches.

Whether supporting the U.S., Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Portugal, or another team, the community has responded enthusiastically, packing venues and arriving hours before kickoff to secure a spot.

ABC-7 spoke with The Shack Wings & Brews, the restaurant's general manager, who says they prepare days in advance for matches featuring the U.S. and Mexico teams, as well as other popular squads, because hundreds of people pack the venue.

Jaime Garcia has worked at The Shack for over 16 years; he notes that, in terms of crowd size, the World Cup is in a league of its own compared to typical NFL, NBA, or MLB game days.

For him and his team, match days for Mexico and the USA are the most hectic.

"We have 25-30 girls working here and it's still not enough; we tried to get the business or get the drinks and the food as quickly as possible for our customers, but they do fill the place and we are grateful for that," said Garcia.

On a typical day, they usually cook between 600 and 700 pounds of wings, but with the World Cup currently underway, they are preparing more than 2,000 pounds daily.

Beer consumption has also surged; while they usually sell 12 to 14 kegs a week, that figure rises to 35 to 38 kegs during weeks with major matches.

"My staff is actually pretty much amazed by everything that's going on, because we usually get like this, but not this full when we have the NFL games and that's every Sunday and it all depends on what team is playing," Garcia added. So far, yes, my staff is getting used to it; most of my staff want to work on those days."

The Shack advises anyone—whether an individual or a group—planning to watch a game at one of their locations to arrive two to three hours before kickoff to ensure they get a spot.

You can view a list of all The Shack locations here.