Westport bars ready to welcome fans during World Cup. But questions remain
As Kansas City prepares to welcome international visitors for the FIFA World Cup, businesses throughout the Westport entertainment district are positioning themselves as gathering places for fans looking to experience more than just the matches.
At Dos Lokos Bar, co-owner Alex Flores believes the World Cup is arriving at a time when soccer’s popularity in Kansas City is already on the rise.
The Mexican American-owned sports bar opened in November with the goal of filling what Flores saw as a gap in Westport’s hospitality landscape. While the district offers plenty of pubs and nightlife venues, he believed there was room for a dedicated sports bar that could also showcase Mexican-inspired food and culture.
From the beginning, soccer was part of the concept.
“Right when we opened, we spoke with KC Current and Sporting KC because we knew right off the bat we wanted them as partners,” Flores said. “We ended up partnering with them and have been having watch parties for Sporting KC and KC Current as well.”
Flores said the local soccer scene has changed dramatically in recent years. While Kansas City has long been associated with the Chiefs and Royals, he believes professional soccer has become a much larger part of the city’s sports culture.
“It’s definitely gotten a lot bigger and a lot more exposure than it had a couple of years ago,” Flores said. “Kansas City has always been a big sports city with the Royals and the Chiefs, but now with KC Current and Sporting KC, we’ve expanded more into soccer as well.”
The World Cup has only accelerated that momentum. Flores said he was surprised when Kansas City was selected as one of the tournament’s host cities.
“I couldn’t believe it,” he said. “If you told me Miami or Los Angeles, sure. But we’re in the middle of the Midwest, and now we’re finally being recognized as a bigger city.”
For Dos Lokos, the tournament will bring more than casual soccer fans. The bar has been selected as a gathering place for supporters of Argentina, one of the world’s most recognizable soccer nations and the home country of global superstar Lionel Messi.
According to Flores, representatives visited the venue before selecting it as a host location for supporter events. Its Westport location, rooftop space and ability to accommodate large crowds helped secure the partnership.
“It was awesome,” Flores said. “We have a lot of Argentinian fans who live here in Kansas City. Knowing they chose us was a great feeling.”
Preparing for those crowds has required coordination beyond a single business. Flores said Westport business owners have been sharing ideas and discussing how to accommodate visitors from around the world.
Restaurants and bars are examining everything from security plans to customer service strategies as they prepare for guests from different countries and cultures.
“We’ve talked to different business owners and tried to pick each other’s brains to see what everyone is planning and how we can all be on the same page and support each other,” Flores said. “We want to make sure everybody feels at home.”
That focus on hospitality extends beyond businesses with established soccer audiences.
At Beer Kitchen, assistant manager Brandon McKinney said the restaurant is approaching the World Cup as an opportunity to introduce visitors to both Westport and Kansas City.
Unlike Dos Lokos, Beer Kitchen is not traditionally known as a soccer destination. However, management hopes the tournament will bring new customers through its doors and encourage visitors to spend time exploring the district.
“We’re excited to see all of the cool people who are going to be coming in and experiencing Kansas City, coming to check out what the Westport District itself has to offer,” McKinney said. “Hopefully we can create a unique experience for them.”
Part of that effort includes participation in a passport-style promotion organized through one of the restaurant’s distributors. Visitors can collect stamps from participating restaurants across the city while exploring different neighborhoods and businesses.
The program is designed to encourage visitors to venture beyond tournament venues and discover local establishments throughout Kansas City.
“It gives them a chance to explore all the cool locations around the city and get to know more about Kansas City itself if they’ve never been here before,” McKinney said.
For many visitors, Westport may serve as their introduction to the city. The district’s concentration of restaurants, bars and historic architecture has long made it one of Kansas City’s most recognizable entertainment destinations.
McKinney, who moved to Kansas City two years ago, said the neighborhood remains one of the first places he would recommend to visitors.
“For the ones who have never been to the States before, this is a very beautiful district, an old historic district and a cool place to go if you’ve never been to Kansas City,” McKinney said.
The World Cup has also created uncertainty for businesses trying to predict crowd sizes. While excitement is high, many owners admit they are unsure exactly what tournament traffic will look like once matches begin.
Some establishments are expanding menus, adjusting operations and increasing security. Others are taking a more measured approach while preparing to adapt as needed.
Flores said one lesson he learned from hosting soccer watch parties is that enthusiasm can quickly exceed expectations.
“We weren’t ready for our first one,” Flores said.
The challenge, he said, was learning how to accommodate passionate supporters while maintaining a safe and welcoming environment for everyone, including younger guests.
One of Dos Lokos’ biggest priorities heading into the World Cup is crowd management. The business has increased security and is paying close attention to capacity limits as supporters events approach.
“We definitely have a capacity limit,” Flores said. “One of our biggest priorities is making sure we don’t exceed capacity so everyone stays safe.”
At Beer Kitchen, McKinney said expectations remain flexible.
“We’re not sure if it’s going to get crazy or if it’s going to be more relaxed,” he said. “We’re just preparing and waiting to see what’s really going to kick off in the area.”
Regardless of attendance figures, business owners share a common goal: ensuring visitors leave with a positive impression of Kansas City.
For Flores, success will not be measured solely by sales or attendance. Instead, he hopes visitors return home talking about the hospitality they experienced in Westport and throughout the city.
“Whether it’s for the next FIFA event or just a family vacation, we want them to say, ‘Kansas City was awesome,” Flores said “ That Kansas City made us feel like we were at home.”
