Five Seattle bakeries have teamed up to create a unique promotion, the "World Cup Sundae Passport," timed to the arrival of the 2026 FIFA World Cup to the city. Through June 30, visitors can sample five sundaes inspired by national teams at The Flora Bakehouse, Spice Waala, Milk Drunk, The Window and The Pastry Project. The initiative aims to draw locals and tourists to less-visited neighborhoods of Seattle that typically don’t see heavy traffic during major sporting events. These include areas like Beacon Hill, Columbia City, Georgetown and Fremont. They usually remain in the shadow of stadiums such as Lumen Field and T-Mobile Park, as well as tourist hubs like Pike Place Market or Capitol Hill. Georgetown, with its industrial landscapes and craft breweries, and multicultural Beacon Hill are often overlooked due to fewer hotels and limited transportation infrastructure for large crowds. The promotion seeks to redistribute the economic benefits of the tournament.
Participation is simple: pick up a starter card at any of the five establishments with your first dessert purchase, then collect stamps for each additional treat. cards with all five stamps will be entered into a prize drawing: the grand-prize winner will receive $125 gift certificates from each partner, and five second-place winners will get $25 each. Winners will be announced July 7, adding extra excitement to the sweet race.
Particular attention goes to Spice Waala’s creation — the Indian street-food chain is offering a “churro con chocolate” in honor of Spain. Co-owner Uttam Mukherjee drew on a childhood spent in Madrid: his recipe features cardamom churros served with vanilla ice cream and hot chocolate fondant. “Being part of the city hosting the World Cup is incredible,” he shares. “Maybe it’s the only chance in my life.”
The other participants are equally creative. Milk Drunk dedicated the “Swede Tooth” to Sweden, blending chocolate-espresso and raspberry ice creams with berries, mousse and Swedish candies. Flora Bakehouse presents Australia with the “Pavlova Bleu,” featuring strawberry soft-serve, meringue and kiwi. The Window delights Japan fans with a matcha sundae topped with miso crumble, while The Pastry Project offers a purple vanilla soft-serve with passionfruit cream and coconut sponge in the spirit of Brazil.
For small-business owners, this collaboration is not only a way to attract customers but also a reason to come together. “Being a small business is tough,” says Sara Knowles of Milk Drunk. “But when you find opportunities to support one another, it all makes sense.” The promotion promises to be a vivid gastronomic tour of global football cultures without leaving Seattle. Meanwhile, the city is actively preparing to host World Cup matches at Lumen Field, where up to 300,000 additional visitors are expected. Major infrastructure upgrades are planned: expansions to King County Metro and Link Light Rail lines, temporary street closures, and fan zones at Seattle Center. Small businesses are projected to see revenue increases of 15–30% on match days, though road closures create logistical challenges. The city is also introducing higher taxes on short-term housing rentals to cover cleaning and security costs, and is providing subsidies to cafés to extend operating hours. The event is expected to spur both a temporary tourism boom and long-term investments in city infrastructure.
Based on: Seattle dessert shops serve sundaes inspired by World Cup teams