The FIFA Fan Festival in East Downtown — where local residents and visitors can watch matches for free — had drawn more than 163,000 visitors as of Tuesday.
During the initial days of the FIFA World Cup, some Houston-area restaurants voiced disappointment in the local economic impact of the international soccer tournament. But as the competition has continued, other businesses have cited an increase in foot traffic.
Wednesday marks the 14th day of the more than month-long sporting event that’s already brought thousands of soccer fans to Houston — one of several U.S. cities to host some of the tournament’s matches. So far, the FIFA Fan Festival in East Downtown — where residents and visitors can watch matches for free — has drawn over 163,000 visitors, according to Houston’s World Cup host committee.
Hoffie Ferreira is the general manager of J-Bar-M Barbecue, located a few blocks away from the fan fest. He told Houston Public Media on Tuesday that the turnout has improved compared to the first few days of the tournament, which began June 11. Houston hosted its first of seven matches on June 14…