NYC Restaurants Offer $26 World Cup Special

Mayor Zohran Mamdani, NYC Tourism + Conventions and the FIFA World Cup 2026 New York New Jersey Host Committee announced on May 22 a citywide dining promotion tied to the men’s World Cup. The program, called the Five Borough Winners Special, will offer $26 meal-and-drink deals at participating restaurants, bars and food businesses across the five boroughs. City Hall said nearly 600 businesses had already signed up. The offer is part of a wider push to steer World Cup visitors into neighborhood commercial corridors rather than only official match venues. ### What exactly is the $26 offer? The Five Borough Winners Special is New York City’s official citywide dining program for the World Cup, according to the mayor’s office and NYC Tourism. Participating businesses can create their own $26 offer, with the city describing it as a meal-and-drink special and NYC Tourism materials saying establishments may offer anything they choose for that price. (nyc.gov) NYC Tourism’s participation materials also show a second option tied to a limited-edition cup program. A participation agreement says the promotion is an NYC Tourism program branded as “$26 Offers + Limited-Edition Cup,” though the city’s May 22 announcement centered on the fixed-price food-and-drink special. (nyc.gov) ### When will the promotion run? NYC Tourism’s World Cup program page says the Five Borough Winners Special will run from June 11 through July 19, 2026. Those dates match the broader tournament window highlighted on the city’s World Cup materials, which describe a longer event ending with the final on July 19 at MetLife Stadium. The New York New Jersey region is scheduled to host eight World Cup matches, including the final, according to NYC Tourism’s official guide. (assets.ctfassets.net) The city has framed the restaurant promotion as one of several ways for people without match tickets to take part in the tournament atmosphere. ### How many restaurants are involved? Nearly 600 businesses across all five boroughs had already signed up as of May 22, the mayor’s office said. (admintools.nyctourism.com) City Hall described the participants broadly as bars, restaurants and food establishments rather than publishing a final restaurant count. Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce and other business-facing pages promoting the program describe it as open to food- and drink-related businesses citywide. (nyctourism.com) NYC Tourism’s registration page says businesses can join the promotion and be featured as fans explore the boroughs during the tournament. ### Why is the city tying it to the World Cup? Mayor Mamdani said the program is meant to give “working New Yorkers and visitors” a reliably priced place to eat and drink while sending more business into city neighborhoods. (nyc.gov) In the same announcement, he said people do not need “an expensive ticket” to be part of the World Cup and pointed to restaurants in Jackson Heights, the Bronx and Central Brooklyn as examples of where fans could watch matches. (brooklynchamber.com) Julie Coker, president and chief executive of NYC Tourism + Conventions, said the city wants visitors to “explore and experience as much of our great city as possible” during the tournament. The promotion sits alongside other World Cup visitor tools, including fan-event listings, a neighborhood passport, a digital map and borough-based programming. (nyc.gov) ### How does the rewards piece work? The NYNJ Host Committee’s Welcome World Rewards program will let people check in at participating small businesses, earn points and become eligible for prizes, including merchandise, fan experiences and a chance to attend the World Cup final on July 19, City Hall said. Businesses in the Five Borough Winners Special will also be featured on that rewards platform. (nyc.gov) That means the dining deal is being used both as a fixed-price promotion and as a way to direct foot traffic through an official World Cup rewards system. The city has not yet published a full public list of every participating restaurant in the materials reviewed here, but it is directing businesses to enroll through NYC Tourism’s World Cup toolkit. (nyc.gov) June 11 is the scheduled start date for the Five Borough Winners Special, according to NYC Tourism’s registration page, and July 19 is the end date tied to the World Cup final. Businesses can still sign up through NYC Tourism’s World Cup toolkit, and fans are expected to find participating venues through the city’s World Cup and rewards platforms as the tournament approaches. (admintools.nyctourism.com) (nyc.gov)