Bars expect sales to double on day of World Cup final
By Jaden Paul and Srijita Bose | November 17, 2023

The 2023 Men’s Cricket World Cup is expected to bring relief to Chennai bars, drawing in customers after a recent sales slump. The Madras High Court directed the Prohibition and Excise Department to implement stricter closing times for licensed foreign liquor bars, in response to a recent spate of violent incidents across the city. This led to a 30% dip in sales since October, said Gemini Ganesh, manager at The Cycle Gap in Adyar.

With the world cup final around the corner, bars in the city have experienced a surge in bookings and inquiries. Bar owners are gearing up to capitalise on the finals with discounts and offers. Score–The Sports Bar & Grill, expects its sales to double during the finals. The sports season had a positive impact on business, said Akash R, manager, Score.

The Thief, a bar in Nungambakkam, is offering ‘buy one, get one free’ deals on drinks to attract customers. The Cycle Gap in Adyar is promoting their match screening on social media, hoping to double their sales on the big day.

Ganesh said that they are running a world cup special paid promotion spending Rs.30,000 on social media promotions to lure in customers. “We generally earn around Rs 5 lakh during the weekends, but on the day of the finals, we expect to cross Rs 10 lakh,” said Ganesh.