The Lebanese, like people around the world, are eagerly awaiting the football event, preparing to support their favorite teams, sometimes celebrating with parades, raising flags, and watching the matches on large screens. This is the atmosphere preceding the kickoff of the 2022 World Cup, a global sporting event anticipated with passion and excitement by both young and old.
Regarding the preparations of restaurants to welcome fans watching football matches, and whether the negotiations to broadcast the World Cup for free will be successful, Khaled Nazha, Vice President of the Syndicate of Restaurant Owners, Cafés, and Patisseries in Lebanon, pointed out the "great efforts made by Lebanese Minister of Information Ziad Makari to ensure that Lebanese people can watch the matches at home for free. However, negotiations are still ongoing, and nothing is confirmed yet, hoping that it will succeed." He emphasized that "people cannot bear more burdens, especially since the situation is still bad after the recent financial and economic collapses that Lebanon has faced."
Nazha reminded that restaurants also have large amounts to pay, stating, "The cost of subscriptions to broadcast the matches in cafés ranges from 3,000 to 15,000 US dollars, depending on the café's capacity. A café that accommodates 50 seats, for example, will pay a minimum fee of at least 3,000 dollars for the broadcast permission."
He announced that restaurants are fully prepared to receive fans and follow this global sporting event, expecting the cafés to be crowded with patrons. He noted that café and restaurant owners look forward to this season as it coincides with the holiday season and helps stimulate the economic wheel.
In conclusion, Nazha assured that the atmosphere of the World Cup will be special and exciting in restaurants, with the presence of giant screens. As for prices, they are studied, and the pricing mechanism does not differ from regular days. This exceptional event, awaited by millions around the world and followed by most nations, unfortunately coincides with a series of accumulated crises in Lebanon. However, nothing will prevent Lebanese youth from engaging with it, especially since it sets the rhythm of events and situations overall.
