Throughout the Bay Area, Spain celebrated the team’s World Cup win. Many gathered at Macarena, a Spanish restaurant in Palo Alto, to watch the team win the final match.
The restaurant was full and the celebrations continued with Spanish tapas. People were hugging, jumping and then there was a spontaneous dance party and singing on the sidewalk.
Reactions were just as explosive in San Pedro square in San Jose, where thousands gathered for the final watch party.
But it’s not just Spain that was the big winner.
Since June 11, the Bay Area has hosted dozens of viewing parties which have in some cases doubled or even tripled the number of customers at local restaurants and bars.
Now some business owners hope that the new customers who visited them during World Cup events will return and keep the momentum going.