According to records, although World Cup matches usually take place at night and early morning, the atmosphere at many cafes in Hanoi is still extremely bustling. The time zone that was originally deserted has now become a "golden time" bringing large revenue to business establishments thanks to timely upgrading both facilities and services.
Strong investment to attract customers
Recognizing the great demand from football fans, Mr. Dinh Xuan Duy - owner of a coffee shop (Phu Dien ward, Hanoi) - decided to invest in a projection system right from the beginning of the World Cup season.
In the main lobby area with a capacity of about 100-200 guests, the cafe installs a 200-inch high-resolution projection screen. In addition, a separate projection area is also arranged to serve many groups of guests at the same time. To ensure broadcast quality, the cafe invests in a satellite television system to limit interruptions and signal loss between matches.
According to Mr. Duy, these investments quickly brought about efficiency when the number of customers coming to the shop at late night and early morning increased sharply.
Matches usually take place from about 0:00 to 3:00 am. Previously, this was a fairly deserted time, but since the World Cup, the number of customers watching football during the night shift has increased very strongly, at times revenue has doubled compared to before. Calculated in about two months of the tournament, the restaurant's revenue increased by about 30-40%" - Mr. Duy said.
Open 24/7, ready to stay up with fans
Not only investing in facilities, many cafes also change their operating hours to exploit the "golden time zone" of the World Cup season.
Ms. Thieu Thi Mai - an employee of a coffee shop (Duong Noi ward, Hanoi) - said that since the World Cup started, the shop has switched to opening 24/7.
According to Ms. Mai, the shop increases overtime for employees, imports more ingredients and arranges personnel more flexibly to meet the increased number of customers during matches.
Working at the cafe, Phung Phuong Anh (22 years old, Hanoi) said that on nights with matches of teams with many fans, both floors of the cafe quickly become full. To avoid overload, employees proactively prepare ingredients, check the list of table reserves and arrange seats before the match.
Previously, the restaurant did not attract many customers at night. Thanks to the World Cup, the number of customers coming to the restaurant has increased significantly. We also hope to keep this group of customers after the World Cup season ends," Phuong Anh shared.
The World Cup not only helps many cafes improve revenue during the biggest tournament on the planet but also creates opportunities to effectively exploit nighttime and early morning hours that previously had few customers or were not used for business.
For many shop owners, investing in equipment and changing the operating method is not only to serve the football season but also a preparation step to expand the customer base in the near future.
