World Cup business is not booming for some near MetLife Stadium. Here's why.
The owner of a New Jersey diner says World Cup matches at MetLife Stadium, now New York-New Jersey Stadium, have been bad for business.
And with five more matches scheduled to be held in East Rutherford, New Jersey, including the Ecuador-Germany match on Thursday afternoon and the tournament's final on July 19, local establishments are fearful the situation may get worse before it gets better.
"People cannot come to the restaurant"
The Carnegie Diner & Cafe in Secaucus got all decked out for the world's biggest sporting event, with the owner hoping local matches would be a financial boom. However, he says not only are tourists not coming, but regular customers are staying away on game days.
"People cannot come to the restaurant. All the major routes are closed. Our entrance from Route 3 is closed. You have to come from the side streets," Stathis Atonakopoules said.
The restaurant was seeing a steady stream of customers on Tuesday, but during World Cup matches our Chopper 2 and cameras captured gridlock on roadways around the stadium and the American Dream mall.
Fort Lee resident Gene Bazzarelli said he and his family are now planning their lives around the tournament.
"We are here today because we finally have a family day. I knew the match was yesterday. I knew I would avoid any of that traffic from yesterday, so we decide to come today," Bazzarelli said.
Many diners told CBS News New York they try to avoid the area and hunker down on match days.
"The traffic is an absolute [nightmare] right now with game days, so our office has actually made the decision to stay closed on game days. So yesterday we all just worked from home to avoid the traffic," Jersey City resident Andrea Zuppa said.
Ashley Jacobs of West Milford was asked if the diner is normally busy.
"Yes, definitely, from all hours of the day, too," Jacobs said.
No-parking policy at MetLife to blame, diner owner says
Atonakopoules blames the traffic problems on the no-parking policy at the stadium, which is more than five miles away from his restaurant.
"We believe it's an artificial gridlock that's created. We've been through many sold-out events at MetLife Stadium and we never had these issues," he said.
Redd's Restaurant and Bar in Carlstadt is taking advantage of World Cup matches by shuttling tourists back and forth from the American Dream mall.
State police and NJ Transit officials call the tournament a high-security event, saying that's why stadium parking isn't allowed and ticket holders have to use mass transit, buses or rideshares.
