Can Toronto handle World Cup crowds? Iconic sports bars say there’s no need to worry

Toronto’s oldest sports bars are weighing in on the city’s history with soccer celebrations ahead of this week’s World Cup.

The GTA is one of the most densely populated areas for international communities putting down roots. So, as a result, it should come as no surprise that the world’s ‘beautiful game’ is setting up shop here for this year’s FIFA World Cup, starting tomorrow, June 12.

Whether you grew up hearing ‘soccer’ or ‘fútbol’ in your household, it doesn’t really matter, as once that whistle blows, the city is going to ignite into a massive party that everyone has an invitation to.

As a result, some of Toronto’s most iconic social nooks — which have seen decades worth of World Cups — are talking about what they are doing to make their turn as hosts matter, despite a few bumps along the way.

Hemingway’s

Yorkville, better known as ‘The Mink Mile,’ hosts a sprawling assemblage of luxury condos, eateries, and high-end fashion stores, and is honestly the last place you’d think a sport loved for its inexpensiveness would have a place to call home.

However, hidden amid $200 haircuts, boutiques, and personal trainers is Hemingway’s.

Originally opening in 1980, the opulence of Yorkville seemingly grew around this sturdy, unassuming pub, now famous for its rooftop bar.

Having now gone through 11 World Cups since opening its doors, the institution has had a chance to reflect on the neighbourhood and how it has always tried to stay just as accessible as soccer itself.

“It’s an amazing environment for any sporting event, and even with FIFA, we know that fans and regulars will pile in. Because we know for a fact that regulars will still get the treatment they have come to know, while new fans will just be discovering it for the first time,” Vicki La Rocca, director of operations behind Hemingway’s, told INsauga.com.

Hemingway’s has triumphed through decades of shifting topography in Toronto, specifically due to its unimpeachable pub food and, likely, operating as the only place in Yorkville to still get a cocktail under $20.

[Photo courtesy of Hemingway’s]

As a result, it has become a hotspot for watching matches of any variety, but, as it is branded as a New Zealand-style pub, Anzac and Euro-centric sporting events dominate the TVs, making FIFA games a shoo-in for the location.

Combine this with the anticipated influx of visitors from all over the world, and you’d think Hemingway’s would be in the eye of the storm.

“We already are, by default, in a very tourist-y area; we have tons of giant hotels all around us here in Yorkville. So when it comes to managing tourists from other countries, really, that is something we are doing all the time anyway,” La Rocca says.

This history around Toronto’s busiest season is why La Rocca is feeling confident that, as the southwest end of the city gets swallowed by game attendees near the stadium, many will look for a lively and renowned spot just a smidge out of the action.

[Photo courtesy of Hemingway’s]

La Rocca also — despite managing the needs of Yorkville year-round — also believes that FIFA will alleviate something inherently symptomatic about certain ritzy Toronto neighbourhoods. Chiefly, how about two-thirds of them empty out so their denizens can run away to their cottages up north until the leaves turn.

Now, with the scales rebalancing and tourism filling the gaps left behind, La Rocca thinks that every neighbourhood is in for one giant party.

“The stadium will be insane, especially close to Liberty Village, but really, I think it’s just going to spread through the whole of Toronto. Sure, it’s a big city, but every neighbourhood, to some extent, is an accessible little nook. It’s going to be a packed city, sure, but it is going to be an amazing month.”

Café Diplomatico

On the subject of nooks and the celebrations happening therein, we come to Café Diplomatico in Toronto’s Little Italy.

For those who haven’t had the chance to visit, ‘Café Dip’ or ‘The Dip’ (lovingly called by locals) is a 60-year-old powerhouse specializing in espressos, classic Italian cuisine, and, of course, having a perfect patio to catch a match.

This year is a monumental year for Café Diplomatico, as both FIFA and Toronto’s iconic Taste of Little Italy are happening at the same time, shaping up to be one of the summer’s busiest parties.

So, how does an institution contend with playing double duty during a citywide event unlike any other?

Rocco Mastrangelo Jr., second-generation owner of Café Dip, fears no futbol, as he and his wife, Connie, a key ambassador for the Little Italy BIA, are the pulse that keeps the heart of their neighbourhood going.

With a wrap-around patio that takes over the corner the cafe calls home, Café Diplomatico is confident that the combined celebration of the World Cup and Taste of Little Italy will set the tone for the summer.

[Photo courtesy of Café Diplomatico]

However, the buzzkill of bureaucracy, unfortunately, is hanging over many bars and restaurants, as even before the first kick, correspondence from City Hall is touting fears around rational concerns, such as congestion and security, to more outlandish stressors, such as trademark infringement (fake jerseys) and reusable water bottles in stadiums.

“I hope everything goes off well in this city, I hope they put on a good show, but simply said — and pardon my French — they don’t know what the f*** they are doing,” Mastrangelo told INsauga.com.

Mastrangelo’s frustrations stem from the fact that his bones are as much a part of Toronto as its streetcar tracks; having grown up here and watched it change, he says that even if things get a little rough, Toronto tends to look after itself.

[Photo courtesy of Café Diplomatico]

A sentiment he worries that city officials aren’t cluing in to.

“I remember when Italy won the World Cup in 1982, I was a 12-year-old kid in my dad’s cinema — Cinema St. Clair — with about 1,500 people crammed in there watching the game. We won, we closed the theatre, and we partied for three days. There were millions of people going up and down that street celebrating,” says Mastrangelo.

While the city’s vibe toward street partying has certainly changed, with multiple complaints alleging disarray at last week’s Do West Fest, Mastrangelo believes a city that holds 250 ethnicities deserves to celebrate, something Café Diplomatico excels at.

“There has still been such a good job done promoting our multiculturalism by the city, I have to admit. I have people from all over calling to ask when and how we are showing the games. Doesn’t matter if they are from Trinity Bellwoods or Trinidad and Tobago; this is a place that feels authentic and unpretentious, and people are going to feel welcome no matter what message is being spread by some,” says Mastrangelo.

[Photo courtesy of Café Diplomatico]

Mastrangelo wanted to expand this hospitality by setting up a sponsored beer garden in Little Italy to help ease fears around congestion amid FIFA and Taste of Little Italy occurring simultaneously.

However, due to red tape, he had to pull the plug at the last minute, which he said wasted weeks of paperwork and effort.

Even though Mastrangelo was ready for a fight, he opted to put all his effort into making Café Diplomatico the place to be instead.

“I didn’t work a lifetime and inherit this business from my family to go ahead and run the risk of burning my reputation over a beer garden,” says Mastrangelo.

As for rhetoric on lack of preparations, Mastrangelo staunchly feels that, in a city this heavily touristed in the summertime, the extra bodies will be marginal, as Toronto ebbs and flows through these sorts of celebrations.

“Establishments like us, we know what we are doing; we work with law enforcement to make sure no one gets up to any nonsense. We’ve done this for decades with the World Cup — regardless of whether it’s here or not.

However, those a touch closer to the action — naturally — have a lot more work to do.

The Rhino

If you call the west end of the city home and like to watch a ball get thrown, dribbled or kicked, odds are you know The Rhino.

Rocking its Queen St location in Parkdale for well over 30 years, much like the other locations mentioned in this story, The Rhino excels at a simple formula: affordable drinks, quality eats, and plenty of chairs to park at and watch the game.

While this location is not playing double duty and managing a street festival, the neighbourhood that The Rhino calls home is only a corner kick away from BMO Field (Toronto Stadium) at Exhibition Place, where matches will be played.

As a result, ownership is taking extra steps, including hiring additional staff and security, and, as required, installing more TVs.

“We are taking it one day at a time; we are just excited that the tournament is taking place in Toronto,” a representative with The Rhino told INsauga.com via email.

Due to their proximity to the pitch, The Rhino is going all in and signalling loud and clear that they are only a 20-minute walk from the stadium.

[Photo courtesy of The Rhino Bar & Grill]

“As one of the only sports bars in Parkdale, we are advertising our proximity to Toronto Stadium and promoting watch parties,” said The Rhino. “We have also been approached by many local and international soccer fan delegations who will be heading to the games, who want to hold large cultural events for their respective countries on our patio.”

While sharing the same love for fans as proprietors like Mastrangelo, The Rhino still has to fortify for a direct spillover, which, for a neighbourhood as sprawling as Parkdale, requires cross-communication.

As a result, most bars in the area — sports-forward or otherwise — are beefing up all direct lines of communication with their neighbouring watering holes to make sure things stay as safe as possible.

“There is a mutual understanding and concern about how busy it could be.”

However, there are some places in the city banking on their ability to pack as many people in as possible.

The Roundhouse

Steamwhistle, an iconic beer brewed in downtown Toronto, has famously lived for the last two decades in the iconic Roundhouse, a century-old Canadian Pacific Railway repair warehouse anchored at the base of the CN Tower.

The location, which is massive due to its industrial past, also has outdoor accommodations perfect for handling the influx of tourists and regulars looking for a place to watch the World Cup.

Building on their Tailgate Series, which has offered guests attending Blue Jays games and more a place to watch the game and crush some fresh-brewed beers, The Roundhouse is now expanding that program for the World Cup.

Better yet, it is free to all.

“We’re used to 2,000 to 6,000 people coming through our building ahead of these sporting events, so what we are doing for FIFA is expanding that experience. So, on days where there is a Jays game and a World Cup match, we’re expanding the tailgate, the services that come with it and sending the word out,” Catherine Oppedisano, VP of marketing with Steamwhistle, told INsauga.com.

[Photo courtesy of Steamwhistle] 

Oppedisano further relayed that they are opening two additional event spaces within The Roundhouse complex to not just give a little more breathing room to their staff but also the downtown core itself.

The design of the tailgate is built on the principle that, even though Toronto will be home to the World Cup, concerts, and Jays games over the coming weeks, life still goes on.

As a result, the entire program operates with no reservations and no table service, in essence, a backyard party in the middle of the busiest downtown in Canada.

That doesn’t mean, however, that Steamwhistle is playing it fast and loose, as they will ensure there are the right kind of chaperones on every corner.

“From a crowd control perspective, we have to be smart with it, so we have security everywhere it needs to be. Sure, it will get a little hectic on game days and Jays days, and crowds might be more significant,” says Oppedisano.

However, like most industry players in the city, they aren’t freezing at the prospect of more noise. In fact, much like the players flying in this week, they are stepping up and are ready to make the World Cup something special, and never scary.

“Every bar and restaurant is going to give it their all and do everything they can, which reflects us as truly a world-class city. We’re about to find out what the World Cup has in store, but honestly, there is a genuine thrill to going out and experiencing this city with people from here, or who have never seen it.”