Soccer fans gather as Euro Cup brings much-needed boost for Calgary restaurants
The UEFA European Football Championship could not have come at a better time for Calgary restaurant and bar owners in need of a spike in sales.
The tournament is welcome news for the Italian Cultural Centre's executive director Rafela Grossi.
Friday afternoon’s match between Italy and Turkey allowed for a crowd of 50 Calgarians to enjoy lunch and watch the game indoors.
“Our business is down about 98 per cent, all of our weddings, corporate events and cultural events and our restaurant has been closed for the last 16 months,” Grossi said.
“It’s not only (good for) the business, but (also for) the morale of the members and not just our Italian community but the entire Calgary community.”
The social gathering was especially meaningful for soccer fans like Renato Angelozzi, who has been cheering for Italy since the team won the 1982 World Cup.
“I just take it to the next level," Angelozzi said. "It’s not a tournament that happens every day so when the time comes, you want to celebrate and really enjoy and embrace the sport.”
Meanwhile, other fans like Krista Harvey are just happy to finally be able to gather again with loved ones at bars and restaurants.
“There’s nothing like being with family and this is family again, being able to celebrate again and being together,” she said.
“It’s the sharing of those moments and seeing faces you haven’t seen in months because when was the last time you saw someone smile at you and be part of that together?”
The Euro 2020 soccer tournament runs from June 11 to July 11.
Some bars like Ship & Anchor and Jameson's Pub on 17 Avenue will be opening early at 6 a.m. for fans to watch games in person.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.