More TVs, extra staff: How businesses in Toronto’s Liberty Village are preparing for the World Cup

The CN Tower can be seen behind condos in Toronto's Liberty Village community in Toronto, Ontario. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Cole Burston

With Toronto Stadium just one kilometre away, Liberty Village is bracing for an influx of soccer fans unlike anything the neighbourhood has seen before. Local businesses say they’ve been preparing for months as the city gets ready to welcome an estimated 300,000 visitors over the course of the tournament.

“Basically, any empty wall we are putting up a TV,” Samantha Basdeo, bar manager at Fox and John’s, a restaurant and bar in the neighbourhood said.

Basdeo says World Cup preparations began six months ago, including the hiring of additional staff and the introduction of a streamlined menu designed to handle the packed crowds expected throughout the tournament.

“It’s going to be such a fun time here, just in the city as a whole,” she said. “It does come with some nervousness and we kind of don’t know what to fully expect, so we’re going into it super excited, positive spirits and ready for anything.”

Liberty Village is no stranger to large gatherings. The neighbourhood has long served as an unofficial hub for Toronto FC supporters. But the World Cup is expected to bring crowds that will eclipse anything the area has previously experienced.

For the roughly 10,000 people who call Liberty Village home, the tournament brings excitement and some unease especially when it comes to traffic, which is a challenge in the area before the addition of thousands of soccer fans.

“It’s definitely going to busy,” said Jake Samuel, who has lived in the area for two years. “But it’s going to be fun.”

With 45,000 fans expected to fill Toronto Stadium for all six matches, in addition to nearby fan festivals drawing the surge in foot traffic represents a significant economic opportunity for local businesses.

“It’s going to be crazy, there’s a lot of hype behind it,” said Kevin MacDougall, who owns the restaurant and catering business Merci Mon Ami, along with his wife.

MacDougall’s business has weathered both the economic crisis of 2008 and the COVID-19 pandemic, but he says the current economic climate is equally as challenging. He says the foot traffic through the area will be a boost to business.

“The margins are tighter than they ever were, so something like this definitely will help increase volume, which will increase revenue,” he said. “It’s going to help with business.”