Story by Dave Eckert / Intro photo courtesy of No Other Pub
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you already know that the World Cup is coming to our fair city. I’m here with some ideas on where to best experience the matches, should you not be lucky enough to grab some tickets and see them live.
Photo courtesy of Pitchside Coffee
I’ll start with Pitchside Coffee, a unique coffee shop with a great back story. Pitchside, which started as a coffee trailer before moving into a brick and mortar space in The Crossroads, is the vision and dream of six former and current players for Kansas City Current. I had a great conversation with one of those players, Elizabeth Ball, a mainstay of the Current’s defense, a huge soccer fan, and a longtime lover of great coffee.
“Coffee culture really coincides with professional soccer. Coffee is part of our community and when we travel, our down time usually means hanging at a local coffee shop. Two pre-seasons ago, we were exploring the coffee shops in Bradenton, Florida and found one that had a coffee trailer. We saw that trailer and said, ‘Let’s go for it!’,” Ball shared with me.
As you can imagine, Ball is super jazzed about the World Cup matches coming to Kansas City-even more so now that Pitchside will be actively involved, thanks to a 3,000 foot event space right up the street from their shop that they have access to. “For the World Cup, we’ll be hosting some great watch parties in that event space along with a ton of fun pop-ups. Being a person who’s loved soccer all my life, and being in a city that’s hosting World Cup games is amazing. Plus, the man who owns the space, a Current season ticket holder, just got his liquor license, so we’re good to go on that front, too.” Ball exclaimed!
To learn about Pitchside and its owners, pitchsidekc.com
Photo courtesy of No Other Pub
From the other soccer club in town comes No Other Pub, a venue operated by Sporting KC, located in the KC Live! Block in the heart of Kansas City’s Power and Light District. “Open since 2016, No Other Pub is the result of a long-standing partnership between Sporting KC and the P&L District. Over the last decade, it has become a gathering place for Sporting KC supporters and soccer fans. With its massive video wall, interactive games, local beer selection and connection to Sporting KC, No Other Pub has helped make the District a central hub for sports and soccer fandom in Kansas City,” Dana Witt Fulks with the Power and Light District shared.
All of that makes No Other Pub a premier place to watch the upcoming World Cup matches. “No Other Pub and KC Live! will be the home base for every unforgettable soccer moment in downtown Kansas City this summer. From massive match-day watch parties and live concerts to exclusive events, specials and more, all in one place,” Witt Fulks stated.
Our site includes match schedules, watch party details, giveaways, special events and updates throughout the tournament. The sight has more announcements around concerts, live podcasts, appearances, and additional events tied to soccer in the city throughout the summer.
For specifics on our Power & Light location, powerandlightdistrict.com/Soccer-in-the-City
Photo courtesy of Johnny’s Tavern
For more World Cup mania, head to one of 14 Johnny’s Tavern locations that now stretch from Wichita to Blue Springs. Arriving in Kansas City from its original Lawrence store in 1991, Johnny’s has scratch-made food and TVs covering every inch of their spaces and every game imaginable. You can bet KC’s World Cup matches will be front and center. What’s more, Johnny’s is planning all sorts of delicious specials to mark the occasion.
“Some of the things we have landed on so far are beer specials featuring limited edition 22oz World Cup souvenir cups, a new Red Bull cocktail menu, and mozzarella pulls for guests that want a fun shareable snack. This will all be in addition to our normal specials that have been providing value to our customers on a regular basis,” Johnny’s Nate McMillan shared. “We’ve been anticipating, hiring and training for the World Cup since the turn of the year!” Got KC’s Hot Spots. Got Games. Got Fans. Score!
