For Heath Agland and his bartenders at The Sporting Globe in Melbourne's south-east, pulling beers is second nature. Making cappuccinos, on the other hand, requires a bit more concentration.
"When Australia scored, I've never heard a roar like it," Agland says. "We have UFC, NFL – everything here – and that's about as loud as it's ever been."
But with football fans flocking to watch the FIFA World Cup in the early hours of the morning, caffeine has become one of the venue's hottest commodities.
"Our coffee machine has never worked so hard in its life," Agland laughs. "This is a bar!"
The owner of The Sporting Globe at Fountain Gate says the tournament has delivered a major boost to his family-run business, with sales up between 20 and 30 per cent since the competition began.
"We couldn't believe how many people were coming in," he says. "At four o'clock in the morning, you wonder who's going to show up. But we've been booked out, with lines out the door and trying not to turn people away."
[video]
His experience reflects new ANZ spending data showing Australians are continuing to spend around major sporting events, despite this year's World Cup being played overseas and largely outside peak viewing hours.
Early analysis reveals ANZ customers have already spent over $7 billion during this year’s FIFA World Cup period so far, with strong spending uplifts recorded across key fan categories: takeaway food (up 6.75%), cafes and restaurants (up 5.5%) bars and hotels (up 5.2%), and sporting apparel (up 9.3%).
For Agland, the benefits extend beyond higher sales.
"People have come in who have never been here before, seen the atmosphere and said they're coming back," he says. "There was a family of about 12 who came in for the first game and they've been back for every one since."
The Socceroos' matches created some of the loudest moments the venue has ever experienced.
"When Australia scored, I've never heard a roar like it," Agland says. "We have UFC, NFL – everything here – and that's about as loud as it's ever been."
He says the appeal goes beyond simply watching the game.
"You can watch it at home for free, in a warm house, but people were lining up to get in here," he says. "It shows people want to come out for the atmosphere. They don't mind spending a bit of money for that experience."
And while the coffee machine has been working overtime during the early kick-offs, Agland says customers haven't abandoned traditional match-day refreshments.
"Don't worry, there were plenty of beers going out as well," he laughs. "We were going through a keg of Guinness a day, where normally that would last three or four days."
Alicia Muling is Senior Journalist at ANZ