The Beer Café, with 39 outlets across India, expects it to be among the biggest screening days of the year.
“India’s fantastic win in the semi-final has set up what is going to be a blockbuster final this Sunday. We expect footfall and revenues to see a two-time jump, compared to a regular Sunday. Major matches like these turn our cafés into stadium-like atmospheres, and the India final has already started driving advance table bookings and group reservations,” said Rahul Singh, founder and chief executive officer (CEO), The Beer Cafe.
Meanwhile, Impresario Entertainment & Hospitality, which operates over 55 SOCIAL outlets, has introduced offers on beer buckets and an interactive prediction game for patrons.
“We’re already seeing strong early traction across SOCIAL outlets, with pre-bookings currently tracking 10-15 per cent higher than a typical Sunday. With live screenings planned across all SOCIAL outlets, we expect momentum to build further over the next couple of days, translating into a similar uplift in overall revenue,” said Divya Aggarwal, chief growth officer, at the company.
At First Fiddle Restaurants, which operates brands like Lord of the Drinks and Diablo, live screenings will be set up.
“A big match like the India vs Australia final, especially on a Sunday, naturally encourages people to step out and watch the game with friends and family. We expect a noticeable increase in footfall and are optimistic of corresponding uptick in revenue as guests spend longer hours at the venues,” said CEO and Managing Director (MD) Priyank Sukhija.
In Mumbai, where the semi-final match was held, the excitement is palpable.
“Our outlets have some of the biggest HD screens compared to other venues in Mumbai along with a 270-degree curved screen at our Borivali outlet,” said Rishab Verma, founder of THERAPY bar.
Footfall is expected to rise about 20-30 per cent and with beer consumption up by almost 40 per cent during the cricket season, revenues are expected to grow 25-30 per cent, he added.
At Khar’s Bluebop café, with special match-night offers, number of patrons is expected to go up by 25-30 per cent.
“With the combination of live screening, beverage offers, and group dining, we expect revenues to increase by approximately 30-35 per cent on match night, largely driven by higher beverage consumption and larger groups coming together to watch the game,” said Founder Eesha Sukhi.
At Bombastic in Kolkata’s Park Street area, live screening and a 15 per cent discount offer on food and beverages if India wins is raising footfall and revenue expectations.
“On a normal Sunday dinner service, we cater to around 120-150 guests. For the match screening, we expect around a 20 per cent increase in footfall and revenue,” said Apu Pusti, unit head at Bombastic Kolkata.
Travel demand rising steadily
Hotel fares in host city Ahmedabad have also started to inch up.
“As per travel trends tracker Peekaboo, hotel bookings have doubled with a 100 per cent increase compared to last week. Flight bookings are up 86 per cent, and prices have risen 25 per cent for flights and 75 per cent for hotels, from approximately ₹3,000 to ₹5,000 per person,” said a Cleartrip spokesperson.
According to villa rental firm Airbnb, searches in Ahmedabad have been inching up since the tournament dates were announced.
The city recorded a nearly 170 per cent increase in searches, with searches for entire homes going up nearly double those for private rooms, and searches for homes with two or more bedrooms seeing an almost 50 per cent rise.
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