Offers galore: Restaurants, cafes ready pitch for World T20 final

After India's big upset in the last ICC World Cup event in November 2023, fans will be out in full force on Saturday evening as India takes on South Africa

cricket match in cafe — Hashtag, a restaurant in Kolkata, has a 200 sq ft LED screen, which gives a stadium-like feeling to guests (Representative Picture)

Akshara Srivastava Aneeka Chatterjee Ayushman Baruah New Delhi/ Bengaluru

4 min read Last Updated : Jun 29 2024 | 12:08 AM IST

With ‘Men in Blue’ swiftly moving to the final match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, to be played on Saturday in the West Indies, restaurants and bars back home are expecting a spectacular turnout.

After India’s big upset in the ICC Men’s 50-over World Cup in November last year, fans are expected to come out in full force as India take on South Africa in Barbados on Saturday evening. To help the cricket fever reach a crescendo, bars and cafés across the country will screen the high-octane match for fans along with offers lined up.

“Our outlets have already started receiving reservations for larger groups for the Saturday match. Overall, we’ve seen good growth in business and footfall during the cricketing season earlier, and we are optimistic about the final match on the same lines,” says Divya Aggarwal, chief growth officer, Impresario Entertainment & Hospitality, which operates the multi-city restaurant chain Social.

Hashtag, a restaurant in Kolkata, has a 200 sq ft LED screen, which gives a stadium-like feeling to guests. “Our staff will be wearing the Indian jersey to celebrate the occasion, and we will be offering free shots for every six hit and wicket taken by our team,” says Ankit Tibrewal, co-owner of Hashtag, which is expecting a 30 per cent uptick in footfall and almost 20 per cent rise in revenue on Saturday.

At Ministry of Beer in Delhi’s Connaught Place, the match screening will be accompanied by live tattoo artists and drummers to cheer the audience on. “We expect to see nearly 150 fans and an additional revenue of Rs 1-1.5 lakh owing to the screening,” says Naveen Sachdeva, managing director, Cherish Hospitality.

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Virat Kohli-owned One8 Commune in Mumbai’s Juhu has curated a special ‘Broken Bat’ menu to take fans back to the 1992 World Cup. With a screening and a unique cocktail menu to complement the action, the place will be buzzing with cricket fever.

“Patrons can get their spirits high with dhol beats and let the face painting artists add a touch of playful cricket war paint to their faces,” says Suved Lohia, partner at One8 Commune, which is already sold out for the night. Coast and Bloom, a seafood restaurant in Mumbai’s Dadar, has an exclusive beer bucket offer for patrons for the screening night. Screenings in the past have increased revenues for the restaurant by 10-15 per cent as guests linger on for longer. It expects the same trend this time.

Sesame at Hyatt Centric in the city’s Juhu, has a 1+1 offer on beers and cocktails. With reservations going up steadily, the Asian restaurant is expecting a 10-15 per cent rise in revenues. “We’re thrilled about the buzz and anticipation. With special offers and our popular ‘Stumps & Spirits’ menu, we expect a lively atmosphere and a boost in footfall and revenue,” says Guneet Singh, F&B manager, Sesame.

At BIRA 91 Taproom outlets – in Ludhiana, Delhi, Gurugram, and Bengaluru – large screens and surround-sound systems await fans, along with a 4+2 offer on shots for every four and six that Team India scores. “We anticipate a significant uptick in footfall during the T20 final, with projections of at least a 50 per cent increase over normal days. We are conservatively estimating a 35 per cent increase in revenue due to the finals, but realistically we believe it could go up to 60 per cent, given the magnitude of the match,” says a spokesperson for the chain.

Excitement is high in the country’s tech hub, too.

Arbor Brewing at Ashok Nagar in Bengaluru will offer unlimited brewed beer for three hours at Rs 999 per person. “We are targeting 700 customers for the evening. Of them, we expect 450 customers to consume beer. With this, we expect a revenue of Rs 12 lakh for the final match,” says Ajith Kumar, restaurant manager, Arbor Brewing Company.

A spokesperson for Xtreme Sports Bar in Cunningham Road in Bengaluru hopes for a 30-40 per cent increase in footfall on Saturday. It will screen the match on large LED screens, and the typical happy-hours menu will continue.