all it the American version of the gastropub. More than a decade ago, the traditional food and beverage concept of the pub in the U.K. received a makeover that centered on higher quality cuisine, a fresher interior design, and a wider selection of wine, beer, and spirits.

A similar change is happening in the United States with sports bars, and Holiday Inn’s version is the Sporting News Grill.

“It’s not a dark, dingy sports bar where you see a 29-inch TV propped up in the corner,” says Jeremy Millar, GM, Sporting News Grill, Holiday Inn Select, Dallas-Love Field. “We offer something here that’s unique.”

STADIUM RENOVATIONS
Before Sporting News Grill was created, Holiday Inn had a food and beverage outlet at their Love Field property in Dallas, but it wasn’t enough to keep guests in-house or draw locals for dinner.

“About 6:00 or 7:00 in the evening, all the guests that came down basically left and went to restaurants outside the hotel,” Millar says.

When Holiday Inn decided to turn that food and beverage space into Sporting News Grill last September, they knew it had to be completely different than anything nearby. They hired Z-Space, a Florida-based restaurant design firm, to bring it to life.

“One of the critical aspects in designing the Sporting News Grill,” says Sue Morgan, VP, franchise food and beverage, InterContinental Hotels Group, “was to make sure it is as welcoming to the woman as it is to the male traveler.” This meant creating a light and airy atmosphere featuring hardwood floors, solid wood tables, glass lanterns, and circular booth seating. There are also 12 plasma TVs throughout the restaurant, some on specially designed metal towers.

“I would characterize it as welcoming and not cold,” says Morgan. ”It is the antithesis of the dated older sports bars. There is a crispness to it, and there is a warmth behind the bar.”

A DIFFERENT LINEUP
Like a gastropub, Sporting News Grill hasn’t discarded its food and beverage roots, it has just expanded them.

“If you want to come in and have Buffalo wings and a beer, that’s great. But if you’re a guest staying in the hotel for two nights and you’d like a quality steak, we do that as well,” Millar says.

Customers can order traditional bar food like nachos and chicken fingers, but the menu also includes a selection of seven different salads, Angus burgers, and mesquite-grilled steaks. The result is a substantial increase in sales. Millar reports that average nightly covers have increased from 25 to around 125.

Holiday Inn also uses the Sporting News Grill concept for breakfast and room service, and they’re looking to score points with the locals by adding a Dallas Cowboys theme to the menu design.

“We want to make sure it’s a good dining option for everyone,” says Mark Snyder, senior VP, brand management, Holiday Inn in the Americas.

THIRST QUENCHERS
It wouldn’t be a sports bar without alcohol, and Sporting News Grill offers guests a choice of 6 beers on tap, 20 bottled beers, and 12 wines by the glass, as well as additional seasonal selections of beer and wine. The extra choices add up to extra dollars for Holiday Inn.

“Before, we would average about $5,000 a month in beverage sales.” says Millar. “Now we’re doing about $20,000.”

Holiday Inn is a likely candidate to create a sports-themed food and beverage concept since many of their recent promotions and partnerships have focused on athletics, including sponsoring Major League Baseball and NASCAR driver Jeff Burton.

“The brand has engaged in some very high-profile sports relationships,” says Morgan, “and we’ve got that opportunity to bring those to life in the restaurant.”

Holiday Inn’s association with Sporting News, a legendary sports magazine that published its first issue in 1886, adds a final touch of authenticity to Sporting News Grill. And it helps bring customers through the door.

“The signage outside the restaurant is striking, and I think a lot of people wouldn’t walk through the hotel, so the outside entrance is working quite nicely for us,” Millar says.

In addition to the Dallas location, a second Sporting News Grill is set to open in Denver this fall.

“Both are great markets for sports fans and have the opportunity to draw business not only from the hotel, but from the community as well,” Snyder says.

Michael Costa is industry relations editor for Hotel F&B.