Azlan Othman
Some restaurants saw a boost of business as local fans flocked to catch the World Cup matches, as it entered the quarter final stage starting last night with Croatia facing Brazil.
A 24-hour outlet, Semporna Enak restaurant in Kampong Rimba, which is screening the match has seen football fans patronising the restaurant round the clock.
Restaurant waiter Nani told the Weekend Bulletin that football fans also turned up at wee hours to catch their favourite teams. She said the majority of the locals visiting the restaurant were supporters of Portugal and Brazil.
“The crowd would stay on until the matches end,” she said yesterday, adding that they opted to come in when the matches start and leave at the final whistle while enjoying various delicacies served at the restaurant.
Sometimes, customers had to book a table in advance to avoid disappointment.
She said business during the World Cup season has been good with more people coming to the restaurant to watch the matches on their big screen.
Another restaurant staff Jenny said the unpredictable weather did not dampen the crowds’ mood as they continue to patronise the tables set up indoor and outdoor.
“We do get quite a crowd who want to watch the matches with many preferring to sit outdoors.”
Meanwhile, a staff from TK Tea House Restaurant in Kiarong and an avid Brazil fan Rifan said the response at the restaurant has been very good because whenever there are matches, fans do come, adding that many locals support Argentina and Portugal.
Another staff Puteri said they have enough staff to cater to the crowd. The restaurant is open until 5am.
Meanwhile, a restaurant patron Jamal Zuin said football fans need to control their emotion as it sometimes gets too noisy for the other customers.
“They need to be sensitive too for the others patronising the restaurant with their families,” Jamal said.
