Local businesses prepare ahead of massive crowds expected for World Cup in Houston

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HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- In just a week, hundreds of thousands of soccer fans are expected to pack Houston for the World Cup.

To prepare for the massive crowds, many downtown businesses have had a game plan in place for weeks.

In the heart of East Downtown, the stage is being set for FIFA Fan Fest. World Cup banners and signs can be seen just about everywhere you turn.

Just around the corner from Shell Energy Stadium is the local bar Chapman & Kirby, where the staff is getting ready to be part of an event that will put Houston in the global spotlight.

According to Houston's World Cup Host Committee, the president expects half a million visitors to the city and an economic impact of $1.5 billion.

Managers at Chapman & Kirby say, like all the soccer teams, they need to be at the top of their game.

"We've been working hard on making sure all our food and liquor suppliers-we're going to have enough product for everybody," Matthew Mejia, manager at Chapman & Kirby, said.

Data from Houston First Corporation shows hotel bookings are up 4.6 percent in June and 6.2 percent in July compared to last year.

Downtown Houston is seeing the biggest jump, with a 54 percent increase in July bookings.

For businesses like Chapman & Kirby, that also means increasing staffing.

"We hired about 75 more bartenders on top of our existing staff and about 50-plus more servers," Mejia said.

At this location, they're used to high volume-but they know the World Cup will bring a new challenge.

"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," Mejia said. "We kind of know what to expect, but we're ready for whatever happens."

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Source: KTRK-TV

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