Barney’s Beanery creates World Cup viewing experience

The World Cup may not be taking place in Westwood, but a small replica of the crazed World Cup stadium atmosphere can be found right inside Barney’s Beanery.

On Tuesday, multiple soccer fans and UCLA students dressed in red, white and blue regalia lined up outside of the Westwood sports bar, waiting to get a taste of its unique game-watching experience.

The people waiting in line outside of Barney’s had to wait several minutes before they could finally get inside to watch the game, as the restaurant had already been filled to its maximum capacity of 296 people before the World Cup round of 16 game between the United States and Belgium even started.

“(It was) standing room only. People posted up anywhere they could to watch the game. It’s really exciting times, actually,” said Christi Shaw, a manager at Barney’s Beanery.

The 2014 World Cup has brought additional revenue and larger crowds to Barney’s, which is one of Westwood’s only sports bars. During Tuesday’s game between the U.S. and Belgium, Shaw said that Barney’s gained somewhere between two and three times as much revenue as it does on other business days, possibly more.

The impact of the World Cup on Barney’s is greater than a simple financial boost. Since the 2014 World Cup began in June, Barney’s has become more than just a place to watch a game and have a drink – it has turned into a place that unites UCLA students and local residents with a common interest in U.S. soccer.

People dressed in anything from business attire to elaborate patriotic costumes packed into the lower and upper levels of the brewery during the U.S.-Belgium game. When goals were scored or big plays made, the bartenders rang loud bells, as they do during other World Cup games.

“People love it. They cheer and everyone’s with you. You know everyone in the restaurant is in it together,” Shaw said.

In spite of a large and clamorous crowd inside the restaurant, being able to see and hear the game was hardly a problem for soccer fans, as Barney’s has more than 30 television screens throughout the restaurant, as well as surround-sound speakers.

In addition to providing a larger size and greater number of TVs than the average college apartment or dorm room, Barney’s also thrives on its ability to create a stadium-like environment in which many fans can gather and cheer as loud as they want, as if they are actually in Brazil watching the World Cup game live.

On Tuesday, people were packed into seemingly every nook and cranny, with some leaning on the railing of the restaurant’s second deck to watch the game on one of larger TVs. Loud cheers, oohs and aahs traveled from inside the brewery outside onto Broxton Avenue, where the people in line waited patiently for a spot to open up. As U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard roared in excitement after one of his World Cup record 16 saves, the viewers at Barney’s Beanery roared with him.

Even though Belgium eliminated the U.S. from the World Cup by winning 2-1 on Tuesday, Shaw still believes that there will be big crowds during the upcoming semifinal and championship games.

“We have a lot of support for other teams as well. I think the Brazil games are going to be very big here, (and) Colombia, Germany,” Shaw said. “Maybe not quite as big as the U.S. game, but we still get people lined up outside the door ready for us to open in the morning.”

Compiled by Matthew Joye, Bruin Sports senior staff