By Coral Gables Gazette staff

For 24 years, or the last six FIFA World Cups, soccer fans in Coral Gables have flocked to Fritz and Franz Bierhaus on the southeast corner of the Merrick Way parking garage to enjoy the planet’s biggest sporting event at the German restaurant and pub.

So it makes sense that there would be considerable excitement that in five weeks, the largest-ever FIFA World Cup will kick off with seven games played in Miami and with FIFA recently moving its North American headquarters into the City Beautiful itself. But that was not the case at the City Commission’s May 5 meeting.

Instead, city residents were met with the sobering news that they might not be able to see the quadrennial World Cup celebration at Fritz and Franz, the only large-scale watch party currently planned in the Gables.

A long-standing tradition meets new resistance

That’s because the Coral Gables Commission isn’t convinced that Harald Neuweg, the owner of Fritz and Franz, who pays the city close to $190,000 a year in rent, has done enough to mitigate the noise, garbage and overall disruption to the neighborhood caused by the outdoor celebration ahead of the World Cup.

Mayor Vince Lago led an effort to stop a vote on a resolution authorizing Fritz and Franz to utilize the public plaza outside the restaurant for the established watch parties. Lago, Vice Mayor Rhonda Anderson and Commissioner Richard Lara all indicated they would not support the proposal without additional assurances that residents and business owners in the area would be protected from negative impacts.

“This plaza doesn’t belong to one person,” Lago said during the meeting. “It belongs to the community as a whole.”

The proposed resolution would have allowed Fritz and Franz to maintain a temporary World Cup setup at Bierhaus Plaza from June 11 through July 19, including tents, seating, barricades and a large viewing screen for selected matches.

Neighbors say the celebration comes at a cost

Community Recreation Director Fred Couceyro noted the restaurant had previously received approvals for similar recent events during the 2022 FIFA World Cup and the 2024 UEFA Euro and Copa América tournaments, but acknowledged the city has received complaints from nearby residents over the years.

“We do get noise complaints from Ten Aragon and 55 Merrick Way, and we have for many years,” Couceyro said.

City leaders call for a stricter game plan

Lago said he had personally received “an extensive amount” of calls from residents and business owners concerned about noise, safety and cleanliness.

“When the games are played at night, people who want to go to sleep, they can’t go to sleep,” Lago said. “This is literally in the middle of a residential neighborhood.”

The mayor repeatedly emphasized that he was not opposed to watch party celebrations but wanted a more comprehensive operational plan before approving the event.

“This is the World Cup in the United States of America,” Lago said. “People are going to come to your establishment in droves.”

Move to public park?

Vice Mayor Anderson suggested relocating the watch parties to Ponce Circle Park, which recently hosted a University of Miami football watch party without incident.

“You can’t control crowds when they’re excited about a goal being made,” Anderson said. “The decibel levels are going to be more than twice what the permissible levels are.”

Couceyro agreed the park could potentially accommodate select games, though he questioned whether a six-week setup would be feasible there.

Owner says the tournament is essential to the business

Neuweg defended both the event and his restaurant’s track record, noting Fritz and Franz has hosted World Cup gatherings for decades without major incidents.

“We did this now for 32 years in the City of Coral Gables,” Neuweg said. “This is something we look forward to every two years.” He acknowledged the celebrations can become loud but argued that most matches occur during the daytime or early evening hours.

“Most of the games are finished by 8 p.m.,” Neuweg said. “The big screen will not be on at all times.” Neuweg also described the tournament as critical to the restaurant’s survival and success. “For us, it’s Christmas in July,” he said.

Lago later seized on that remark while reiterating his concerns.

“I cannot respond to residents and say, ‘Listen, this is this gentleman’s Christmas, we just have to put up with it,’” the mayor said.

The restaurant owner insisted the business has consistently worked with police and city staff to address concerns, hiring off-duty officers, pressure-cleaning the plaza and eliminating music events because of city noise regulations. “Our record speaks for itself,” Neuweg said. “We’ve never had a problem on the plaza.”

Supporters point to a boost for downtown commerce

Commissioner Melissa Castro emerged as Fritz and Franz’s strongest defender, arguing the event generates business not only for the restaurant but for the entire downtown district. “When you bring people to your event, you’re also supporting all the other local businesses,” Castro said. “This brings business to our downtown.”

Neuweg added that the city financially benefits through parking revenues generated during major soccer events. “We pack the garage for every single game,” he said. “The city makes the money with the garage – we don’t get one penny from the garage.”

A split on how much the plaza should be used

Still, Lara sided with Lago and Anderson, calling the six-week occupation of the plaza excessive. “It’s as if we’re giving up the plaza for six weeks straight,” Lara said. “That’s not what I believe is fair or appropriate.”

Rather than formally rejecting the proposal, commissioners encouraged Neuweg to return with a revised plan that could include shorter event durations, fewer games or alternative locations.

The temporary rejection stands in contrast with the city’s broader embrace of soccer and FIFA-related activity. Coral Gables has hosted World Cup and soccer-related workshops through the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce, soccer conferences at the Coral Gables Country Club and is home to both FIFA’s corporate offices and the FIFA World Cup 2026 Miami Host Committee.

The commission’s hesitation also raises questions for some observers about why, after nearly a quarter century of World Cup watch parties, the city is now placing new roadblocks in front of the event. 

A familiar dispute resurfaces

This is not the first time current city officials and politicians have clashed with Neuweg. In recent years,  city officials moved to seek new proposals for the city-owned property occupied by Fritz and Franz for more than two decades. The dispute became one of the most contentious issues at City Hall in early 2024, with city officials citing maintenance concerns, below-market rent and landlord-tenant disputes, while residents and loyal patrons packed commission meetings to defend the restaurant and criticized the city for mishandling another beloved local institution. The controversy became so politically charged that it even surfaced during the February 2024 firing of City Manager Peter Iglesias, who was rehired last year. 

Some of those political previous political divisions could be seen in which candidates and commissioners chose Fritz and Franz to host post-election events in recent years.

The match is paused — not over

For now, though, the city has effectively issued a yellow card – not a red one –  leaving the future of World Cup watch parties in Coral Gables still very much in play.