A bartender in Boston has revealed the remarkable amount she earned during one shift as Scotland supporters packed the city for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
As one of the tournament’s US host cities, Boston has drawn tens of thousands of visiting fans, with Scotland’s long-awaited return to the World Cup sending the city’s bars, restaurants and fan zones into overdrive.
For Boston hospitality workers, the surge has created both a hectic workload and a welcome boost in earnings, with many venues reporting packed rooms, long waits and beer supplies stretched by the size of the crowds.
Kaleigh Matulonis, who has spent nearly five years working behind the bar in Boston, said the crowds were unlike anything she had experienced before.
In a TikTok video that quickly gained traction online, she said her usual daytime shift runs from 10:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.
Although she ended up finishing later than normal at 5:15 p.m. and said she “got absolutely whacked,” she still described the day as a lot of fun.
According to Kaleigh, that shift brought in an eye-catching $950 in tips alone, not including any additional server tip-outs that may have pushed the total even higher.
She said in the clip:
“I know people are complaining about the World Cup being in the US, but as someone who bartends in Boston, I’m not complaining.
“Shout out to Scotland, they were most of my customers today, and now I’m routing for them.”
She later reflected on the huge payday in an interview with Newsweek.
“Yes, I’ve definitely made more than usual,” she told the outlet. “$1,000 is not a normal day.”
She continued:
“I was a little surprised, but it was a good surprise.”
Boston has become a particularly important base for Scotland fans because several of the team’s opening matches in the tournament were staged in and around the city, giving the Tartan Army a central place to gather, celebrate and travel to games.
That has translated into a strong week for local bars, with operators across downtown Boston saying international fans have been drinking heavily, staying late and spending freely.
Hennessy’s Bar in downtown Boston was among the venues feeling the pressure, with its leadership team saying stock levels were heavily affected.
Noelle Somers, the bar’s chief operating officer, said:
“We had run out of a lot of beer come Sunday night (14 June).
“We had to change our our delivery strategy for the following week. I think all bars in Boston did that where we were getting deliveries every day last week.”
Somers said she did not have an exact total for beer sales, but added:
‘it’s triple the amount that we would usually do on like our huge day like St Patrick’s Day.’
With the World Cup bringing a rare international spotlight to Boston, bartenders like Matulonis are finding that a busy shift can turn into an unexpectedly lucrative one, especially when thousands of enthusiastic supporters are in town and happy to keep the rounds coming.