The COWBOY CARTER Effect: Restaurant Sales Rise During Beyoncé’s Atlanta Stop

Beyoncé’s second tour of her musical trilogy, COWBOY CARTER (with Renaissance as Act I in 2022), is coming to an end. Queen B performed four shows at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, beginning Thursday, July 10, and according to USA Today, the city was buzzing with fan-led events all week long.

USA Today spoke with Atlanta native Deron Jordan, a self-proclaimed King of the Beyhive, who said, “I wanted fans to experience the era, not just the performance. So I put together a lineup of events for every member of the Beyhive. I wanted people to make memories that would last beyond the stadium.”

The events, as reported, included two brunches, a celebration dubbed The Hive Hoedown, a Beyhive choir rehearsal where fans sang and danced to Beyoncé’s hits, and a Beyoncé-themed pop-up selfie museum.

All of that fan energy didn’t stop on the dance floors and choir rooms. It spilled over into local restaurants, too. Toast analyzed restaurant sales on the Toast platform within a 5-mile radius of Mercedes-Benz Stadium from Thursday, July 10, through Monday, July 14, and compared them to the average Thursday through Monday for the prior eight weeks. Beyoncé played four shows on July 10, 11, 13, and 14.

In this article, we’ll outline how Beyoncé’s presence fueled a significant boost for the local restaurant scene. Spoiler: The results? Flawless.

🤠Beyoncé’s COWBOY CARTER tour's impact on restaurants

Let’s take a closer look at the data.

📈Bey drove hourly sales growth, peaking at 40% at 4 a.m. 

With Queen B stepping on stage around 8 p.m. and performing a nearly 3-hour set of 39 songs (per Cosmopolitan), the energy of the night didn’t stop when the music did. Local restaurants saw the excitement spill over into the early morning hours, creating a noticeable ripple effect in late-night dining and drinking habits.

Looking at sales by the hour, the day starts off slowly. Between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m., sales dipped slightly, down 3% and 2% respectively, likely because fans were still resting from the night’s festivities. But once the city started waking up, restaurant traffic did too. Breakfast sales began to climb with a 3% lift at 8 a.m., continuing steadily throughout the late morning and hitting a 19% increase by 10 a.m. 

Sales held steady through the afternoon, but the real rush happened once the lights went down. As the concert let out, late-night crowds flooded nearby spots. Sales jumped at midnight (14%) compared to the average for the previous 8 weeks and kept climbing, peaking at a 40% increase at 4 a.m.

🌯The Beyhive drove up burrito sales by 26%

Breakfast/brunch foods saw the biggest boost during Beyoncé's weekend in Atlanta. Sales of burritos and breakfast platters each jumped by 26%, while omelettes followed closely behind with an 18% increase. The spike in morning meal orders suggests extended overnight stays, late nights, and a strong demand for satisfying starts to the day. What’s better than a breakfast burrito?

Beyond breakfast, other menu items saw notable lifts. Pasta orders rose by 13%, while sushi, salads, nachos, wings, and fried chicken all saw a lift in sales as well. Guests seemed to be gravitating toward familiar, craveable items. From quick bites to full plates, restaurants near the stadium clearly benefited from Beyoncé’s presence all week long.

✨I've been drinking, I've been drinking [hard seltzers] 

Total alcohol sales saw a slight lift, but it was clear the fan favorite was hard seltzers. These bubbly beverages saw a massive 35% surge in sales compared to the eight-weekend average prior. Gin also had a standout performance, with sales climbing 18%, followed by vodka (+9%) and wine (+2%). Perhaps these sales were boosted by cocktails like French 75s, gin spritzes, or other elevated drinks that fit the stylish vibe of the weekend.

Not all beverages benefited from the Bey bump, though. Despite Beyoncé having her own whiskey brand, SirDavis, whiskey sales dipped by 3%. Rum sales were down even more at -5%, and both tequila and beer declined slightly at -1%. While spirits like gin and vodka helped fuel the party vibes, heavier or more traditional bar staples seemed to take the backseat. 

💅Feeling myself (and this data)

We found that overall, restaurants are busier than usual when Beyoncé (and Blue Ivy and Rumi Carter) are in town. Be prepared for brunch and stock up on your hard seltzers. Our data also shows that fans are likely to return to your restaurant or bar after the show to keep the good vibes going. 

But here's the thing: the Cowboy Carter tour is wrapping up, and Queen B won't be gracing your city again for a little while. Smart restaurant operators should take notes from these findings and apply them to every major concert and event that rolls through town. Whether it's Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny, or even that local music festival, the same patterns will likely emerge.

Consider developing a playbook for concert nights: curate themed playlists on Spotify, highlight your best offerings, and maybe even create special menu items that nod to the artist. Just like Beyoncé unites her fans for an unforgettable experience, your restaurant can do the same. 

Methodology

Toast analyzed restaurant sales on the Toast platform in Atlanta ZIP codes within a 5-mile radius of Mercedes-Benz Stadium from Thursday, July 10, through Monday, July 14, 2025. These dates were compared to the average sales from the same days of the week over the eight weeks prior.