World Cup boom bypasses NY’s local dessert corner

Faizullah Mohammed at his 16 Handles shop in Hoboken, New York on Thursday. PIC/ADA KHAN

The FIFA World Cup matches here in New York and New Jersey have meant big business for restaurants, pubs, and transportation networks. Prices have skyrocketed, with a return train journey from New York to East Rutherford Stadium costing over 98 USD currently - compared to just 12.50 USD normally. Buses, taxis and even intercity air travel has become costlier.

However, that does not mean that every business is profiting. Faizullah Mohammed, originally from Hyderabad, India, manages the self-serve dessert chain 16 Handles at the bustling Hoboken Waterfront in New Jersey. Located on the banks of the Hudson River, a popular tourist destination and premier spot to view the Midtown Manhattan skyline and host major events, it should be minting money, but that's not the case.

"Summer is our peak season, and we typically target over 3,000 USD in sales per day. During winter, we rarely get customers. Events also help boost our business. In fact, there have been occasions when our sales have shot up to 22,000 USD, like on July 4, 2024, during the US Independence Day celebrations. Going by this, we were expecting a huge boost during the FIFA World Cup due to the influx of global fans, but unfortunately, it has not made a big impact. Our sales are hovering around 4,000 USD per day, that's all," Faizullah told mid-day on Wednesday.

The 32-year-old, who has managed the shop for the last five years, believes that the tight visa restrictions on travelling fans could be one of the reasons for the stagnant sales. "There are visa restrictions on several countries and this has kept the foreign tourist numbers down. In fact, the FIFA matches are actually hurting our local foot traffic because we don't have screens to telecast the games due to area zoning restrictions, so people are heading to nearby restaurants, pubs, and fan villages instead of coming here," he explained.

Faizullah however, is still hopeful that things will change for the better. "With the bigger matches coming up later, I hope more tourists will arrive. I have a line-up of special flavours ready," he signed off.

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