After six weeks of nearly nonstop soccer, life is returning to normal for millions of fans captivated by the World Cup, and South Bay leaders are now strategizing on how to keep the economic momentum and cash flow going.

Crews have begun breaking down the setups at San Pedro Square in San Jose, which became a mecca for watch parties during the tournament. The area seemed back to normal for a weekday, with minimal foot traffic, but the last six weeks painted a much different picture.

The San Jose Earthquakes initially predicted 350,000 fans would visit San Pedro Square for the entire 39-day tournament. Instead, they lured almost 1 million people.

On social media, O’Flaherty’s Irish Pub thanked its many new customers. David Mulvehill, the pub’s owner, expressed his gratitude for the surge in local support.

“We’re just very grateful that people came down and supported us. I really want to thank everybody for coming,” Mulvehill said. “I hope they’ll come back, and hopefully we made a good impression, and they’ll come back when there aren’t many activities.”

San Jose’s Office of Economic Development has been meeting to see how it can harvest the fruits of the World Cup’s success. The Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce says it is still crunching the final numbers, but many vow that the region hasn’t seen the end of these large-scale gatherings.

Harbir Bhatia, CEO of the Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce, noted that some businesses are already thinking ahead. For a fee, venues like the domes showed matches on 8K, 360-degree screens, and they plan to replicate that success.

“They’re taking the month off and August and working on programming for the football season because now they know people want to come out,” Bhatia said.

Business owners like Mulvehill say they want to keep the crowds coming.

“Yeah, I think the Super Bowl would be great, but we have some great local teams. The Earthquakes are at the top of the table. It would be nice if they made the playoffs,” Mulvehill said. “We’d have some watch parties down here. Also, the Sharks are looking good.”

Bhatia expects this trend to continue well beyond soccer.

“I think we’re going to see an uptick in watch parties for every sporting event we have in the Bay Area, and I hope we’ve proven to the world you’ve got to come out to Silicon Valley,” Bhatia said. “We’re much more than just chips.”

Tonight, in the now-quiet San Pedro Square, there remains a yearning for more. Hemil Patel, a local sports fan, wants the lively atmosphere to become a permanent fixture.

“I think they just should have kept the TVs all year round for all the sporting events,” Patel said. “Especially next year for the FIFA Women’s World Cup.”