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Sports Names, Restaurants Not Always Successful Combination
Retired Florida Marlin Jeff Conine removed his name from the Clubhouse Grille in Hollywood last year.
Florida Atlantic University football coach Howard Schnellenberger did the same with his moniker on three Original Steakhouse & Sports Theatres.
Does a sports figure's name on the marquee guarantee success? Apparently not. But even a short-lived relationship doesn't necessarily signal a bad restaurant. The key, restaurant and sports experts say, is the right mix of good food and atmosphere, location and experienced management.
"For athletes who have created a name for themselves in a community with a sector of the population, there's only so much time to maximize that value of the use of it," said John Offerdahl, a Dolphins linebacker from 1986 to 1993.
Each situation is unique. Some athletes lend their names and likenesses in exchange for a percentage of food and merchandise sales. Some become investors and have a say in the decor and menu. Others, such as Hall of Fame Miami Dolphins coach Don Shula (Shula's Steak Houses) and former Dolphins Offerdahl (Offerdahl's Cafe Grills) and Bob Brudzinski (Bru's Room Sports Grills), enter the restaurant business.
"It's location, location, location for the rule of thumb for any real estate deal. And after that, it's food, food, food," said Tom Prakas, of The Prakas Group in Boca Raton, which specializes in restaurant brokerage. "The name adds the kicker, and gets them in the door."
