Spain may have won the World Cup, but D.C. bars are lifting their own trophy after a month of blockbuster soccer business.

Why it matters: Following a bruising winter of snowstorms, government upheaval and softer spending, the tournament gave D.C. bars and restaurants a rare summer treat: packed houses.

• "The World Cup probably threw a lifeline to a lot of businesses in D.C.," Tin Shop co-founder Peter Bayne tells Axios.

Stunning stats: For many, the tournament was a bigger business driver than July 4th — catering to D.C.'s enormous diplomatic, ex-pat and immigrant communities.

• Bayne (Franklin Hall, Penn Social) says June revenue roughly doubled across eight Tin Shop venues compared to the same time last year.
• Whitlow's saw business jump 300% on championship Sunday compared to their usual numbers. Tournament sales climbed 16% year over year on U Street and 12% at the Wharf.
• At Dupont's Admiral, beer sales tripled from the same stretch last year.

Zoom in: Franklin Hall routinely hit capacity, forcing staff to turn fans away. Bayne wheeled TVs onto neighboring Lucy's patio so more people could watch outside.

• La Cosecha became a hub for Latin American fans, hosting a block party for the Spain-Argentina final that drew an estimated 3,000 people.

The big picture: The World Cup helped boost beer and alcohol sales nationwide amid a decline in alcohol consumption.

• Beer sales across the U.S. shot up 5.5%, according to the D.C.-based Beer Institute.
• Demand was so intense the Admiral rented a refrigerated truck just to store extra kegs of Michelob Ultra, FIFA's "official" beer.

What's next: More D.C. bars are betting on soccer to drive sales.

• Whitlow's plans to launch Premier League watch parties soon based on their World Cup success.
• "Unless you have a special package at home, you can't get the game," says general manager Mike Egan, who adds soccer's two-hour matches can drive a more dependable crowd than lengthier games.

The bottom line: The World Cup is over, but bar owners hope the momentum isn't. With the Nationals surging, IndyCar on deck and football season around the corner, they're hoping the city has finally turned the corner.

• "Maybe D.C. is back," Admiral owner Fritz Brogan says.

Tell a fan

Montgomery County appears set to extend its data center moratorium.

Why it matters: As AI fuels a data center boom, more residents are pushing back against the hulking, humming* buildings and their local impacts.

⚡️ State of play: Montgomery County's council members will vote Tuesday on an 18-month moratorium on new data center construction, as activists call for protections from environmental impacts and increased utility costs.

• It adds to County executive Marc Elrich's six-month pause declared last month.

Zoom out: On the other side of the DMV, Northern Virginia is known as America's "data center alley." While most are clustered in Loudoun County, or further out in Fauquier County, there's one trying to open inside the Beltway.

• Off Edsall Road in Fairfax County, the $5 million buildout would be 75 feet tall, the Washington Business Journal reports.

👀 *Speaking of the noise, Axios' national energy correspondent Amy Harder toured a lab in Ashburn, where servers make Claude possible:

• Inside the room, she writes, "I was immediately hit with what I can only describe as 'demented white noise.'" That'd be the fans running to cool down "racks of AI chips" that run awfully hot.

The intrigue: And turns out, it's hard to get in one of these centers. Most places declined her requests for one or wanted an NDA.

• "This type of secrecy is part of what's fueling the backlash against data centers," Harder writes, "alongside strains on electricity and local water supplies."

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🏎️ In preparation for the Freedom 250 Grand Prix, crews laid fresh asphalt on parts of Pennsylvania Avenue, where race cars will hit speeds of 180mph on Aug. 22-23. (NBC4)

• Walls and fencing will start going up on Sunday, and Metro General Manager Randy Clarke said yesterday that bus detours will begin early starting Aug. 1, with more info TBA.

🚌 Speaking of, a year after Metro's massive overhaul of its bus network, ridership is down 7% and buses are moving on average 0.5mph slower. "We need to aggressively try to move our bus network better," Clarke says. (The 51st)

🏢 "Patriot's Row" — a line of historic Capitol Hill buildings owned by a Trump-aligned group — is picking up another property. An affiliate of the nonprofit Conservative Partnership Institute paid $10 million for a three-story building on Pennsylvania Avenue. (WBJ)

Chief Justice John Roberts is selling his Chevy Chase home.

Why it matters: The Maryland house made headlines in 2022 when protestors gathered outside it and other Supreme Court justices' homes surrounding the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

• This in part led to Congress passing a bill that allows the Marshal of the Supreme Court and the Supreme Court Police to provide security to justices and their families.

📈 State of play: The home was listed for sale last month for $3.2 million and is now under contract, reports the Washington Business Journal.

• Roberts bought the home in 2003 for $1.2 million.
• Built in 1923, the 5,200-square-foot home has seven bedrooms and five bathrooms, plus stone walls and two fireplaces.
• The Supreme Court didn't respond to Axios' request for comment regarding why Roberts is selling.

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A bellini-fueled Italian disco is popping up inside Union Market.

Why it matters: "Mixtress" Gina Chersevani, behind Buffalo & Bergen and Last Call Ba, is taking over the longtime Bidwell space.

• TBA: A new restaurant tenant. In the meantime, Chersevani and beverage director Michael Saccone are filling the space with an aptly named pop-up: Not For Long.

The vibe: Naples in the '70s. Think disco balls, DJ-spun Italian tunes and Sunday afternoon dance parties.

The drinks: Equal parts classic and playful — fresh fruit bellinis, Negronis and spritzes alongside drinks like a prosciutto-washed Old Fashioned.

The treats: Cool off with soft-serve, gelato or a boozy lemon soft-serve blended with limoncello and prosecco.

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