\n<\/p>\n
The Anh O\u2019i Bake Shop, a beloved Vietnamese-American bakery in Seattle, is just a short walk from Lumen Field\u2014where the city has hosted five out of six World Cup games. Yet, owner Vince Vu has decided to close the shop for the final match on Monday, where the U.S. will face Australia. <\/p>\n
Vu reports that business has taken a significant hit on game days, with sales plummeting by around 70%. He described the U.S.-Australia match as his worst day ever, even worse than when he operated as a pop-up. \u201cTraffic to the shop was just 10% of what it should have been,\u201d he lamented.<\/p>\n
Many local business owners in the area are echoing Vu\u2019s concerns, stating that instead of a boost in sales from the World Cup hype, they have experienced a decline. Typically, their customers are locals, who are now avoiding the crowds and traffic on match days.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re seeing locals staying home because of guidance from various organizations,\u201d Vu explained. \u201cMeanwhile, sports fans just walk by our shop and park in the neighborhood without supporting us.\u201d<\/p>\n
This influx of visitors has also led to increased litter in the area. The CID Business Improvement Area Ambassador Program is stepping in to tackle safety issues and has expanded efforts to clean up trash and graffiti. Christopher Yip, who manages the program, mentioned that the aftermath of game days can often leave the streets looking quite messy. \u201cIt\u2019s disheartening,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
The city is aware of the issues facing the community and is working with local businesses to improve access and support. Mayor Katie Wilson’s office aims to enhance neighborhood efforts, such as hosting events like the CID Summer Kickoff Block Party and the night market.<\/p>\n
The local organizing committee for the World Cup has partnered with the CID to better support small businesses. Hana Tadesse, a spokesperson, stated that their focus is on ensuring local businesses are heard and provided for during this busy time. She encouraged locals to visit the CID, not just on game days, but throughout the year: \u201cCome anytime, show your support.\u201d<\/p>\n
To increase traffic to the area, the city included the CID as a stop along King County Metro\u2019s Waterfront Shuttle, which carried over 16,000 riders during the first four match days.<\/p>\n
Despite these efforts, Vu feels left out. He attended city presentations aimed at helping businesses cater to tourists, but he noted that very little attention was given to attracting local customers, who are essential for his bakery’s success. \u201cWe should ask, \u2018How do we get locals to come here as well?\u2019\u201d he pointed out.<\/p>\n
Although Vu supports other neighborhoods experiencing success during the World Cup, he feels sidelined. \u201cIt feels like a party I wasn\u2019t invited to,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019re so close to Pioneer Square, yet it\u2019s like we\u2019re an afterthought. It\u2019s disappointing.\u201d<\/p>\n
In light of these challenges, businesses in the vicinity are hosting a \u201cCome to the CID\u201d rally before and after the U.S. match against Belgium. Vu confirmed that his bakery would be closed during this event, but he hopes it will draw attention to the struggles of local businesses.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Local Bakery Struggles During World Cup Matches The Anh O\u2019i Bake Shop, a beloved Vietnamese-American bakery in Seattle, is just a short walk from Lumen Field\u2014where the city has hosted five out of six World Cup games. Yet, owner Vince Vu has decided to close the shop for the final match on Monday, where the<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":36327,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-36326","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-business-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/indiabulletinusa.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36326","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/indiabulletinusa.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/indiabulletinusa.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indiabulletinusa.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indiabulletinusa.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36326"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/indiabulletinusa.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36326\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indiabulletinusa.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36327"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/indiabulletinusa.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36326"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indiabulletinusa.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36326"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indiabulletinusa.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36326"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}