Sports Bars Aren’t Dead, But They May Be On Life Support
If bad news comes in waves, then our industry -- and specifically the sports themed segment -- is getting rolled over by one mother of an ocean storm. For the past year, we have covered story after story lamenting the sales declines, the cannibalization of full-service by fast casual, and the enormous staffing challenges that face all operators in the current economy. This decline has been particularly hard on sports-themed operators as we have seen several high profile bankruptcies and worse-than-market sales reporting from some of our biggest players. What does all this mean for the future of the “sports bar” and is there anything you can do about it? Who’s to blame? The sales performance of full-service restaurant operators has been declining steadily for the past 18 months or so. In general, the entire segment is experiencing a shift [...]