Signs of the World Cup are easy to spot at the FIFA Fan Festival in Fair Park and around Dallas Stadium in Arlington. But some businesses farther from the action are also hoping to draw visitors through their doors. At Lacquer Box Nail Studio in downtown Arlington, owner Champa Inthilath is makin g sure FIFA fans know they are welcome. “When we were told that we’re gonna have it here, I was like, okay, we need to do nails. We need to decorate. We need to make it welcoming. We need to show our spirit,” Inthilath said. The studio has flags and banners outside, decorations inside and specialty nail designs inspired by teams and countries. “For their country they’re representing, do some nail art. We created some USA, some Mexico, of course Brazil. I’m working on Argentina, and Japan is playing here with Netherlands so we’re working on Japan Nails,” Inthilath said. They are not the only business getting into the spirit. Inspirations Fork and Table has also put decorations outside in hopes of catching the attention of people passing by. “So definitely with our flags and decorations out front, we just want to gather attention and let people kind of know, hey, we’re here. Even if we’re a little bit smaller,” said Sydney Toledo, the restaurant’s head chef. Toledo said the restaurant wants to welcome visitors and locals who may not have discovered it yet. “We definitely hope we reach, you know, people that are even local that haven’t heard about us or seen us or been here. You know, we can touch other people that haven’t been around, let them try our food, let them realize, hey, there is still small family spots, especially in Arlington, where you come in, and you feel at home,” Toledo said. Both businesses said they are excited about what the World Cup could mean for Arlington’s small businesses. “I don’t know if my smile is too big, but I’m excited. Yes, I’m very excited,” Inthilath said. For other businesses that have not decorated yet, Toledo offered a challenge. “Our neighbors need to up the game with the decorations. This is a amazing opportunity that Arlington is so, so lucky to have that we really need to show how excited we truly are,” Toledo said. The excitement is still building, with the first game at Dallas Stadium happening Sunday. This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC DFW. AI tools helped convert the story into a digital article, and an NBC DFW journalist edited it again before publication. ...read more read less