The Vietnamese-American Anh O’i Bake Shop is about a 10-minute walk from Lumen Field, where Seattle has hosted five of its six World Cup matches. But the bakery won’t open for the final match on Monday between the U.S. and Australia.
That’s because its business has tanked on game days. Owner Vince Vu said on most of those days sales dropped by about 70%.
The U.S.-Australia match marked Vu's worst day of business ever, he said. That includes his time as a pop-up shop.
“Traffic to the shop was 10% of what it should have been,” he said.
Vu is one of many business owners in the neighborhood who have recently spoken out about the World Cup fanfare working against the CID. Instead of a boost, businesses have said they have seen a decline in sales on match days.
Most Anh O’i sales usually come from locals. But those customers have been staying away to avoid crowds and traffic.
“We have locals being told to stay home by a number of different organizations, their own companies. And then we have the sports tourists walking right by us,” he said. “They park in our neighborhoods and they leave.”
The influx of people passing through the neighborhood has brought another problem: trash.
The CID Business Improvement Area Ambassador Program works to address safety concerns in the neighborhood, such as de-escalating tense situations or directing unhoused people to resources. Recently, the initiative has expanded to help with cleaning up trash and graffiti.
Christopher Yip, the program manager, said he walks the neighborhood the morning after each game day in Seattle.
“A lot of streets feel kind of decimated,” he said. “There’s so much litter that is left behind from people coming out and partying.”
According to Jonah Spangenthal-Lee, a spokesperson for Mayor Katie Wilson's office, the city is working with the CID community to address its concerns and boost access to the area. He said the city is making investments in neighborhood ambassadors, increased outreach and events, such as the CID Summer Kickoff Block Party and the night market.
A spokesperson for the World Cup local organizing committee, Hana Tadesse, said in a statement that the committee partnered with the CID to ensure small businesses are informed, heard and supported. It has put funding toward a dedicated neighborhood liaison, reserved parking for local businesses and promoted events and small businesses in the area.
Tadesse said the prosperity of the CID depends more on Seattleites showing up year-round, rather than on days when there are matches. She recommended that locals go to the CID and pick a business to support.
“Come before the game if you can, but show up any time. No gimmicks, just genuine civic teamwork,” Tadesse said.
The city and local organizing committee worked to include the CID as a stop along King County Metro’s Waterfront Shuttle in the hopes that it would boost visitation there. According to the city, more than 16,000 riders used the shuttle over four match days in Seattle.
Vu, the bakery owner, said these efforts have not produced the results other neighborhoods have experienced. He went to presentations offered by the city about “how to serve tourists from different areas of the world” and how to “serve triple the number of people.”
It was all focused on serving tourists. Vu said there was little talk about attracting Seattleites that his business relies on.
“I think we should have focused on like, ‘How do we get locals to come here as well?’" he said.
He said this is an example of what happens when businesses, especially in the CID, don’t get enough of a say at the policy level.
While Vu is happy for neighborhoods that are having success, he still feels that “this is a party that I wasn’t invited to,” he said. “All the businesses in the CID were like, ‘We’re so close. We’re so close to Pioneer Square, and yet we’re sort of like an afterthought.' It kind of hurts.”
Businesses in the neighborhood have scheduled a “Come to the CID” rally on Monday, before and after the U.S. match against Belgium at nearby Lumen Field. Vu said his bake shop will be closed.
