Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que in Kansas City, Kansas, is already bracing for the 2026 FIFA World Cup rush, and general manager Victor Brummel says the restaurant is gearing up for a flood of international visitors; Kansas City will host six matches, including a quarterfinal, while the tournament opens in Mexico City on June 11 and spans host cities across the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
Locals and out-of-towners alike are treating Joe’s as a pilgrimage spot, where burnt ends and the Z Man sandwich get as much attention as the big games. The restaurant sits in a converted gas station and has built a reputation that draws fans who want to taste Kansas City barbecue between matches and sightseeing. Staff expect regulars and newcomers to form long lines on match days, especially when the stadium schedule funnels crowds into the downtown area.
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Victor Brummel described how visitors will drop by amid packed schedules. “We’ll have people who show up, get dropped off by Uber, put their bags behind the counter over there and enjoy,” he said, capturing a common scene that restaurant teams are rehearsing for. Joe’s knows that many fans travel between cities during the tournament, so they’re treating every service moment like a welcome mat for global guests.
Behind the counter, the smokehouse is already working overtime to meet demand. “We are doing a total of 185 slabs of ribs today,” one staff member said during a tour of the operation, pointing out how the kitchen scales output for big events. Production is ramping up beyond normal peaks, with additional prep planned for the tournament period to ensure supply keeps pace with a dramatic spike in visitors.
“For World Cup, for instance, where we’re going to prep probably 400 at each location.” That projection shows how Joe’s is thinking not just about one store but about coordinated effort across locations, including a new, similar restaurant they plan to open across the street before the tournament starts. Adding physical capacity and staff are practical moves to avoid turning away hungry fans during the busiest stretch in the restaurant’s history.
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Staffing is a big part of the plan, with Joe’s lining up extra cooks, servers and managers to handle extended hours and higher customer volume. The restaurant plans to open on Sundays during World Cup games, a rare change in routine. “The only thing that’s gotten us to open on Sundays before this is Patrick Mahomes and the Super Bowl,” Brummel said, emphasizing how rare and significant the upcoming demand will be.
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Beyond ribs and sandwiches, Joe’s is thinking through logistics — lines, luggage storage, payment options and menu flow — to serve international guests smoothly. Fans arrive with different expectations, payment habits and time windows between matches, so the restaurant is simplifying ordering and adding signage to keep things moving. Managers expect the combination of local hospitality and quick service to make Joe’s a highlight for visitors exploring Kansas City’s food scene.
With 48 teams and 104 matches making this the largest World Cup ever, the scale of the event touches every host city differently, but Joe’s is taking the tournament personally. Kansas City’s pull as a culinary stop and an accessible match-day hub means restaurants like Joe’s are not just feeding fans; they’re staging memorable, short-stop experiences that will stick with visitors. The plan is operational, hands on and focused on turning a global event into local business success.
