How to Prepare Your Venue for the World Cup | Event Planning Tips for Bars and Breweries

If you run a bar, brewery, restaurant, hotel, or entertainment venue, you already know what the World Cup means. Packed houses. Standing-room-only crowds. Tables turning into watch parties. And the kind of energy that can turn a regular afternoon into one of your highest-grossing shifts of the year.

It also means operational pressure. As an operator, you are probably asking yourself:

• Will we have enough staff?
• How do we prevent long lines at the bar?
• Can the kitchen handle halftime surges?
• How do we create a special event atmosphere?
• Are we making it easy for guests to order another round?
• How do we turn first-time visitors into repeat customers?

These are exactly the right questions. The World Cup is a tremendous revenue opportunity, but only if your operation is prepared to handle the volume.

Being Busy and Being Profitable Are Not the Same Thing

Many operators assume that if the venue is full, the event is a success. But crowded rooms do not automatically translate into strong margins. When guests wait too long to order, leave their seats to stand in line, or decide against another round because the bar looks too busy, revenue slips away.

The hidden cost of busy often includes:

• Missed drink rounds
• Lower food attachment
• Slower table turns
• Stressed staff
• Frustrated guests
• Reduced likelihood of repeat visits

The operators who win during major sporting events are the ones who reduce friction at every step of the guest journey.

Start with the Guest Experience You Want to Create

Before thinking about technology, think about the experience you want guests to have. Do you want them to:

• Walk in and immediately feel part of the action?
• Order without missing a minute of the match?
• Split tabs easily with friends?
• Receive themed promotions tied to the event?
• Stay longer and order more?

If the answer is yes, your systems should support that experience. GoTab was built specifically for high-volume hospitality environments where speed, flexibility, and personalization matter.

Let Guests Order from Their Seats

One of the easiest ways to reduce bar congestion is to allow guests to order from their phones. With GoTab Mobile Order & Pay, guests can scan a QR code, start a tab, and order food and drinks without leaving their seats.

That means:

• Fewer lines at the bar
• More opportunities for additional rounds
• Higher food attachment
• Less pressure on staff

Most importantly, guests stay focused on the match instead of waiting in line.

Make Repeat Ordering Effortless with Easy Tab®

The best event operators know that the first order is important, but the second and third orders drive profitability. GoTab’s patented Easy Tab® lets guests securely open a tab once and continue ordering throughout the event. They can reorder:

• From a QR code
• At the bar
• With a server
• From a text message link

Everything stays connected to one guest-based tab. The less friction there is between “I want another drink” and “order placed,” the more revenue you capture.

Prepare for Halftime Surges

Halftime is often the most intense ordering period of the match. If your kitchen and bar are not prepared, ticket times increase and guest satisfaction drops. GoTab’s Kitchen Display System and smart routing tools help your team stay organized by automatically sending orders to the right prep stations.

Managers can:

• Monitor ticket times
• 86 items in real-time
• Communicate with guests
• Prioritize high-volume items

The result is a smoother operation when demand spikes.

Build World Cup-Themed Menus and Promotions

Major sporting events are the perfect time to create limited-time offers. With GoTab, you can launch:

• Team-themed cocktails
• Beer bucket specials
• Shareable snack platters
• Halftime-only promotions
• Match-day combo offers

Menus can be scheduled for specific matches or time windows, making event planning easier and more consistent.

Simplify Group Ordering with Shared Tabs

World Cup matches bring groups. Friends, families, and coworkers all want to order together without one person getting stuck with the bill. GoTab Shared Tabs allow multiple guests to order and pay independently while contributing to the same check.

This creates a better guest experience and reduces payment friction at the end of the event.

Capture Guest Data for Future Marketing

The World Cup is also a chance to introduce your venue to new guests. GoTab helps you capture guest information during the ordering process so you can market to them later.

Use that data to promote:

• Upcoming matches
• Trivia nights
• Seasonal events
• Loyalty offers

One great match-day experience can become the start of a long-term relationship.

Your World Cup Readiness Checklist

As you prepare, ask yourself:

• Can guests order without standing in line?
• Is repeat ordering fast and frictionless?
• Can the kitchen absorb halftime surges?
• Are themed menus and promotions ready?
• Is group payment simple?
• Are you capturing guest data for future marketing?

If you answered “no” to any of these, now is the time to tighten your event strategy.

Make the Most of the Opportunity

The World Cup will bring the crowds. The question is whether your operation is ready to maximize the opportunity. With GoTab, operators can combine mobile ordering, Easy Tab®, shared tabs, KDS, and real-time reporting to handle high-volume match days while delivering a personalized experience guests will remember.

Whether you run a neighborhood brewery, a sports bar, a hotel, or a large entertainment venue, the right systems can help you turn World Cup traffic into one of your most profitable stretches of the year.

Ready to Prepare for Kickoff?

Schedule a demo with GoTab to see how operators use GoTab to reduce friction, increase guest spend, and deliver unforgettable event-day experiences. 

And if you’d like to see a quick general demo on the features described in this article, sign up for our webinar on May 27, 2026 at 1:30 PM ET, How High Volume Breweries and Taprooms Increase Efficiency and Guest Spend.