As excitement builds for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Nepal's hospitality industry is in a state of flux.

The world's biggest football tournament has traditionally been a boon for restaurants, pubs, sports bars and nightlife businesses, attracting crowds eager to watch the game with friends over food and drinks.

But this year, the challenging schedule has put expectations of businesses at a premium. With most matches scheduled to start after midnight and run until the early hours of the morning.

The FIFA World Cup is not just a sporting event. It is also a major economic opportunity for businesses involved in hospitality, entertainment, transportation and retail.

Nepal's football fans also flock to restaurants and bars during the month-long tournament. This creates a festive atmosphere and benefits everyone from jersey vendors, beverage companies to taxi drivers and hoteliers.

However, the timing of the 2026 tournament, which will be jointly hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States (US), poses a unique challenge.

The number of participating teams in the tournament has been increased from 32 to 48 for the first time. The games will run from June 11 to July 19. The opening match between Mexico and South Africa will be played at the iconic Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.

Most matches will be played mainly from 12:45 midnight to 6:45 am, and in some cases from 1:45 am to 8:45 am. 'Will Nepalese fans be willing to give up their sleep to watch the World Cup?' Many hotel and restaurant owners are asking themselves.

Sudarshan Poudel, CEO and founder of Lavi Hospitality Group, which operates several restaurants, hotels and food and beverage outlets across the Kathmandu Valley, said, “We are not expecting a big business this time due to the schedule.”

“Except for students, most people have to go to work the next day. Late night matches will be challenging for them.” Poudel said that as the matches become more interesting in the later stages of the competition (knockout stages), fan interest will peak and attendance may improve.

Regardless of when the quarter-final matches are held, scheduled for July 9-11, they are expected to attract a large crowd. Businesses are making their preparations for this. Areas like Durbarmarg, Thamel, Paknajol, Tahachal, Baneshwor, Sanepa, Jhamsikhel and Jawalakhel are expected to be the main gathering places for football fans during the tournament.

Many businesses are also hoping for Nepal's two-day weekly holiday (Saturday and Sunday). They believe that fans may be more willing to stay out late on Friday and Saturday nights. Among the businesses betting on this football craze is one of the country's most well-known restaurant chains, Burger House.

The company plans to operate its outlets at the airport, Baluwatar and Thamel 24 hours a day (day and night) during the tournament.

'Despite the schedule, we expect a 30 to 40 percent increase in customer numbers,' said operator Vasant Lama. 'Football is loved all over the world, and Nepalis are die-hard football fans.' The customer presence was also strong during the Champions League.'

Burger House is also preparing to introduce various offers on drinks to attract fans on match nights. Trisara Restaurant is similarly optimistic.

Citing Nepal's growing sports culture and changing eating out habits, owner Shovan Malakar expects business to increase by about 20 percent compared to normal times.

'We have a large number of young people who follow football with great enthusiasm,' Malakar said.

'Also, eating out is becoming equally popular among people of all age groups. It is no longer limited to the youth,' he added. Malakar said he expects a big increase in beer consumption during the World Cup.

Despite the cost increase due to global supply disruptions and tensions in West Asia, many restaurants are The menu has not been increased, which could be a key factor in encouraging customers to spend, say business owners.

'We have no plans to increase the price of the menu,' said Malakar. 'Lord of Drinks' (LOD), one of the city's most popular clubs in Thamel, has already prepared for this year's World Cup screening.

'The excitement and crowd at the last World Cup was good. We are screening games this year too,' said LOD's front desk officer Sahadev Sedhai. 'We are open from 8 pm to 5 am and since most of the games are played at that time, we expect business to increase even more than last time.'

Football and sports screening has been a key part of the business model for Lavi Hospitality Group. According to Poudel, sports activities involving Nepali players often attract an extraordinary number of spectators.

He cited the popularity of Nepali fighter Rabindra Dhanta in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and the large crowds that have been attracted by the Nepal Premier League (NPL) matches.

“The demand is so high that we often have to add more than 20 tables,” he said.

As the popularity of sports increases, sports-themed restaurants have also started to emerge, targeting young consumers who want to experience watching sports in a group.

“Even people who don’t usually go out want to gather with friends and enjoy the atmosphere during big sporting events,” Poudel said.

To accommodate the unusual schedule of this year’s World Cup, Lavi Hospitality Group is planning to introduce live screenings as well as breakfast at select outlets.

'Lavhi Garden' and 'Jigri Sekuwa' in Thamel will remain open for the morning games, while outlets in Jhamsikhel, Baluwatar and Imadol have said they will focus on the popular and high-profile knockout games. Despite this, not all business owners see it as practical or profitable.

For family-friendly restaurants, there is no commercial justification for opening their shops until dawn.

'We close at 10:30 pm and we are more of a family-friendly restaurant than a sports bar,' said Aakash Poudel, owner of Walnut Bistro.

'Since most of the games start after midnight, we have decided not to organize live screenings this year,' he added. Some other business owners are adopting a 'wait and see' strategy.

According to Subash Roka, manager of Moksha in Jhamsikhel, most restaurants are closed by the time the World Cup starts. 'If there is enough demand, we can arrange additional staff and stay open for the 1am games,' he said, 'but we are not sure whether enough customers will actually come.'