Jim Fair
German fans broke out in song with victory in hand at Wild Ace.
Jim Fair
A flag waving youth and German fans with grease paint on their cheeks offered their support at Wild Ace.
Jim Fair
Daniel Howell didn't leave any doubt of his allegiance by wearing a U.S. flag as a cape at Wild Ace.
Jim Fair
The crowd at Hans Franz Biergarten virtually created a single lane road with parking on both sides overflowing on the shoulders on S. Highway 14.
It was standing room only at restaurants with televisions and beer on tap today.
The World Cup match between the United States and Germany, won by the Germans 1-0, guaranteed restaurants huge crowds and record-setting lunches.
There was no secret who fans were cheering. Flag waving and wearing customers, grease paint on cheeks, jewelry fashioned in each country’s colors, and Germans breaking out in song clearly defined the groups.
Wild Ace Pizza and Pub on Trade Street offered a $10 buffet from noon-2 p.m., instead of its usual lunch menu offering, and set up one side of the restaurant in a theater-type seating to accommodate a German crowd that easily outnumbered Americans 3-1.
Denise VandenBerghe, co-owner of Wild Ace, has a strong European crowd that watches soccer on Sunday morning during the season.
The Mason Jar was also overflowing with partisan fans viewing the contest.
Hans Franz Biergarten on S. Highway 14 was completely out of parking, with vehicles lining the highway in both directions within a quarter mile. Some patrons brought their own lunch to view the World Cup on screens set up under two tents.
And the Atlanta Bread Company on Pelham Road had a larger than normal lunch contingent during the match.
Germany plays the runnerup of Group H Monday at 4 p.m. and the U.S. plays the winner of Group H Tuesday at 4 p.m. Both times are typically happy hours for many restaurants.