Vendors describe losses and delayed payments
For Maria Gardner-Rodgers, owner of Ever Bowl Acai Café, the investment exceeded $20,000 in products and labor for smoothie bowl sales. She told WSB-TV that the trouble was apparent when she arrived: The vendor area was not adequately prepared for food sales. "We've taken a big loss," she said.
Renea Pierre, owner of Nature's Own Herb Shop, reported roughly $3,000 in sales after investing about $20,000. She attributed the shortfall to sparse foot traffic and insufficient marketing by organizers. "We did not get anything that was promised to us," Pierre said.
The event's organizer was CVM Worldwide, an Atlanta-based consulting firm. Vendors told WSB-TV that its CEO, Candance Williams, acknowledged in emails that attendance at some locations had fallen short of expectations and caused vendors to lose money. According to those vendors, Williams promised refunds by August.
Several said they remained unpaid more than a month after that deadline. Pierre described repeated texts and emails to Williams, with responses assuring her that funding was available and payment was coming. "We still have not got a penny from this organization," she said.
The event's footprint and vendor costs
The city-backed program, formally called the Welcome to ATL Experience, ran from June 14 through July 15, 2026. A City of Atlanta news release described 16 selling days scheduled around the eight World Cup matches Atlanta hosted, with vendors at three downtown locations: in and around Steele Bridge at Centennial Yards, The CTR, formerly the CNN Center, and South Downtown.
Expectations for the tournament extended beyond the vendor program. Before it began, city and business leaders described its potential economic impact as equivalent to eight Super Bowls, one for each Atlanta match, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Vendors faced both booth charges and a share-of-sales payment. Booth rentals began at $600 for a two-day match block, the newspaper reported. Organizer Candace Mitchell said 30% of vendors' gross sales on event days went to a partnership of the property owners and CVM Worldwide. Organizers described that percentage as lower than the typical 40% industry standard for activations of comparable scale.
Complaints had surfaced during the summer
By July, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution was reporting departures and empty booths. About 120 businesses had enrolled, but dozens withdrew, and a group of 30 vendors was seeking to recover thousands of dollars in losses it attributed to operational problems.
Among those who left was chef Jarvis Williams of Social Express Catering & Meal Prep. He told the newspaper that booth fees, equipment, food and labor had cost him about $60,000, while four days of selling brought in only $1,200. Ali Moradi of Gyro Chef Mediterranean reported spending $128,000 on booth fees, rental equipment, labor and perishable food. He said sales totaled less than $1,000 over four days before he pulled out.
Presenting sponsor DoorDash also withdrew and ended its partnership with CVM Worldwide, according to the newspaper. Duct tape covered the company's logo on event banners. DoorDash said the experience "did not meet the expectations communicated to DoorDash or participating merchants" and apologized to the small business owners involved.
The newspaper also reported that documents it reviewed showed the Atlanta Police Department had raised concerns about on-site alcohol sales.
Disagreement over refunds and responsibility
In its earlier reporting, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution described a letter from Mitchell offering businesses at Steele Bridge and in South Downtown full refunds of vendor fees, along with reimbursement for lost inventory and labor costs. The vendor group called that proposal "too narrow" and sought refunds for every affected vendor, regardless of location, as well as repayment of the 30% taken from sales.
The program also received funding and promotion from sponsor Showcase Atlanta, the nonprofit city initiative Mayor Andre Dickens created to help local businesses benefit from major events. Its interim executive director, Lamar Stewart, told the newspaper that the organization "was not a part of the operations or the contracts or agreements with any of the vendors."
One vendor interviewed by WSB-TV, Joshua Smith, said he eventually received more than $1,000 after telling Williams that he had contacted Channel 2 Action News about the dispute. Smith said he could accept that the event had fallen short, but found the subsequent unfulfilled promises harder to accept.
