inexpensive, but quality is important,” he
says, noting that offering smaller plates
with high-quality food seems to be a
good game day strategy.
Retro food also is in the spotlight
today, crossed with higher quality menu
selections that appeal to both men and
women. Message: It’s important to serve
something other than just fried foods;
salads and fish seem to be big hits these
days — an anomaly in what used to be a
fried-food-centric category.
As for drinks, experts agree some people
now opt for non-traditional beers when out
to watch a sporting event at their favorite
watering hole. They can get the big-name
brands at home, they reason, so when
imbibing on-premise they want something
regional and handcrafted.
Oh yeah, and flawless and informed
service is a must. “People don’t want
to wait 20 minutes for a drink. And your
servers should know something about
the sports that are being broadcast, too,”
Nyman says.
Here are some establishments that
have found success in an increasingly
crowded field, playing to both men and
women and offering something outside
the tired old sports bar concept.
Celebrity Ventures
By taking a single concept and rolling
it out in different cities under different
names, Celebrity Ventures is tapping
into the local scene with success. The
company operates two outlets — deals
are in place for more — named after
local sports heroes rather than a generic
catch-all name. Across from The Ohio
State University, for example, there’s
Eddie George’s Grille 27, and Pittsburgh
is home to Jerome Bettis’ Grille 36. According to Bob McCarthy, partner and
vice president of concept development
with Celebrity Ventures, it’s critical to
maximize your potential audience. And
while many sports bars consider women
as an afterthought, McCarthy sees appealing to the female demographic as
paramount, which is why the company
blended a restaurant concept with sports
bar appeal.
“People looking for a sports bar experience find that, but those looking for a restaurant that has sports viewing can find it,
too. Men want a place to bring wives and
girlfriends, so we look for ways to attract
broad-based clientele,” McCarthy says.
“We knew we had to be gender neutral.”
In addition to traditional sports bar fare,
the Grille menus also boast edamame,
crispy tuna rolls and assorted fresh fish.
That, combined with a stylish atmosphere and more than 60 flat-panel
televisions, is where Celebrity Ventures’
formula really begins to play out. To
grab the lunchtime crowd, channels
are switched to Bloomberg News or
CNBC; during commercials in sporting
events, a DJ plays and then takes over
on weekend nights when the games are
done. The venues also utilize Nana Walls,
which split larger spaces into smaller
spaces quickly and easily so some
guests can watch tennis while others
take in a football game — all without
disturbing each other.
Lagasse’s Stadium
Bam! Chef Emeril Lagasse is taking the
sports bar concept up a notch with his
newest Las Vegas outpost, Lagasse’s
Stadium at the Palazzo Las Vegas. Setting the stage for an entirely new way
to watch sports in a social environment,
this place is more like a living room than
many people’s, well, living rooms. With
109 televisions, it’s all about wall-to-wall
action. And of course there is the chef’s
world-renowned cuisine to enjoy while
quaffing some tasty beverages and taking
in the big game.
“The place is an extension of home
because it is such a comfortable setting,”
says general manager Marc Zakin. “And
when it comes to food, we have everything from nachos and wings all the way
to filets and salmon tartar.”
The combination of high tech and high
taste is helping expand the venue’s target
audience. Interestingly, Zakin expected
patrons to be about 75 percent men, but
just a few weeks after the fall opening,
he finds it’s actually more of an even
