This meal is no deal!
FIFA World Cup tourists are fuming over so-called “deals” sponsored by the city and offered by hundreds of Big Apple eateries – from $26 beer and pretzel combos to sandwich specials – some without so much as a TV to watch the matches on, The Post has learned.
The “dining and beverage deals,” which are touted on the city’s official tourism website as the Five Borough Winners Special, are individual to each eatery.
But some are being slammed by travelers as nothing short of a rip-off.
“I’ll tell you, as a European, this is no deal,” fumed Francesco Cernigliaro, 28, of Venice, Italy, to The Post outside the Central Park Boathouse — where tourists were led by the city website only to find a sandwich and soda in a promotional cup for $26, but no TVs to watch the soccer games.
“It’s kind of like a rip-off, isn’t it … you’re just getting a cheap cup,” chimed in one Australian tourist, whose husband was forced to leave the fancy pond-side eatery to watch a match at a nearby pub.
One boathouse employee, who declined to provide his name, said the site has only sold between one and two “specials” a week since the promo began last month.
“Honestly, if I was going to get a commemorative cup or something like that, I wouldn’t get this,” the employee quipped.
“It’s unattractive.”
The boathouse wasn’t the only place offering the deals that doesn’t have TV to watch the game. The West Village’s trendy Via 13 was offering a $26 “Pizza d’Oro” — but no way to watch the teams go for the “Oro” on the soccer field. Reps for the eatery declined to comment.
The deals have been so unpopular with patrons that the bar crew at Blue Haven East in Kips Bay didn’t even know that their bar was hosting the promo when asked about it.
One bartender admitted he had never heard of the deal, and had to check the ordering system to verify it was real.
“I thought it would be very popular, but we aren’t selling as much as I thought,” said a bartender at Kurant Wine Bar, where a beer and a burger cost $26 as part of the promo — but only during happy hour.
One bartender at Barfly Bar in Gramercy Park said he only found out about the deal hours before a Post reporter asked about it, and that he hasn’t had any customers asking about it since the promo began on June 11.
When asked why some bars weren’t booming as expected, some soccer fans suggested the promotions sounded like tourist traps rather than genuine celebrations:
“The bars and clubs they need to start accommodating more if they want more of the actual supporters from FIFA to start coming into their spots,” said Lendell Parker, 29, of New Jersey.
“You can’t just be trying to offer these types of deals, but then not also put on a show for the actual supporters and fans.”
“It definitely is a rip-off to promote a deal like that but not have anything for the fans to watch the game on,” said Midtown tourist Nicole, 43. “It definitely feels like a cash grab.”
At West Village hot spot La Contenta Oeste, owner and chef Luis Mota said he expected “more” from the deal sales.
The entrepreneur said he bought 500 cups from the city – at $1.80 a pop – and even made his own Mexico-themed cups in case the NYC Tourism ones didn’t arrive quickly enough.
“I loved what happened at the Knicks games,” Mota lamented.
“I hoped we would have something bigger for the World Cup.”
Read the full article here