COMING SPRING 2021: Spurrier’s Gridiron Grille

[Swamp Donkey]

Does Spurrier's seat more than 550 people?? If so that's crazy, and unsustainable in that market.
.

I guess I can see having some way to expand it for game days or even game weekends. maybe people would like to come by Friday night or Sunday if they're spending the weekend.... because the hotels will only sell 3-day tickets.

I just can't imagine needing a fraction of that the other 359 days of the year.

I'm sure SOS is not running this thing. I'm sure he just loaned his name. But wow. I hope he's not invested too deeply.

As for the playbook, SOS needs his agent to ensure UF opens that uo to him as part of his next contract extension. Surely he got millions more also to celebrate Dan Mullens 3 game losing streak

 

[G. Gordon Gator]

I guess I can see having some way to expand it for game days or even game weekends. maybe people would like to come by Friday night or Sunday if they're spending the weekend.... because the hotels will only sell 3-day tickets.

I just can't imagine needing a fraction of that the other 359 days of the year.

I'm sure SOS is not running this thing. I'm sure he just loaned his name. But wow. I hope he's not invested too deeply.

As for the playbook, SOS needs his agent to ensure UF opens that uo to him as part of his next contract extension. Surely he got millions more also to celebrate Dan Mullens 3 game losing streak

As others have speculated I doubt SOS is invested in it, in terms of sinking his own money into it. More likely they're paying him for licensing the use of his name and memorabilia for the project.

But that said, it is his name that he's licensing, so if the restaurant fails it could hurt the value of that as a commodity. For example another restaurant company is not going to come along and offer him the same deal after that, or anything close to it.

 

[CU-UF]

Does Spurrier's seat more than 550 people?? If so that's crazy, and unsustainable in that market.
.

Steve Spurrier's Florida restaurant lacks enough employees to open

Its behind a paywall, but the relevant section (Its actually the 9th largest in the state, my mistake):
"The building is 18,600 square feet, and 375 employees are needed to open at full capacity, said managing partner Freddie Wehbe.....The restaurant, with a capacity for 525 customers that will make it the ninth-largest in the state, was supposed to open in May"

 

[G. Gordon Gator]

Steve Spurrier's Florida restaurant lacks enough employees to open

Its behind a paywall, but the relevant section (Its actually the 9th largest in the state, my mistake):
"The building is 18,600 square feet, and 375 employees are needed to open at full capacity, said managing partner Freddie Wehbe.....The restaurant, with a capacity for 525 customers that will make it the ninth-largest in the state, was supposed to open in May"

Well now I'm curious to know where one goes to find the list of Florida's Largest Restaurants. I looked and couldn't find anything like that earlier.

18,600 sq. ft. and seating for 525 customers is way too big for Gainesville. And 375 employees? So 900 people in there?

 

[G. Gordon Gator]

Upon further consideration I suppose all 375 employees probably won't be working at the same time. But still, though. That's just way too big.

 

[G. Gordon Gator]

I had never heard the term "elevated cuisine" before but now I've seen it twice in one day, in the article @BMF posted about SOS's new place and then again in this one I just read about a new place opening in Miami Beach.

Evidently elevated cuisine is supposed to mean better food (i.e. more expensive) than chain places like Outback, TGI Fridays and Chili's, but not quite at the quality level (or cost) of upscale fine dining.

All I know is this: If SOS's prices aren't affordable for college students then he's gonna have a helluva time filling 525 seats in Gainesville when it's not a Saturday in the Fall.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

They want 50% more for Chilis food.

 

[stephenPE]

I wonder if he is going to serve breakfast. Remember Breakfast with the Gators? Fun and Gun Omelette with Great Wall bacon.

 

[deuce]

I'll go at least once.....

 

[LagoonGator68]

They changed it (opening day) to June because of Covid back in December

The meters running on somebody. Might as well start working the kinks out.

 

[alcoholica]

Since everyone is skeptical (for good reason), here are some reasons it may succeed.

• It's located in Celebration Pointe, which is positioning itself as higher end than its Butler Plaza neighbor.
• The Regal Cinema, which is within short walking distance, was a top 10 grossing theater per screen in the nation. Great date spot in that regard
• There is a ton of higher end apartments being built that are within Celebration Pointe. The townhomes were selling for approx $750M two years ago before the boom.
• Alachua County has chosen Celebration Pointe to house their multi-sport complex that will host local, regional, state, and possibly national competitions. Many weekends there will be some sort of competition(s) going on.
• Gainesville has a growing tech and biomedical presence.
• The Gainesville MSA population is over 330,000 people
• You still have several weekends of graduations, GatorNationals, and other events.
• Located right off of I-75 and near Bass Pro, so good chance for random drops from travelers.
• Concerning the football games, once plans are completed, hopefully this fall, Celebration Pointe will have a tailgate atmosphere. They will close off road traffic thru the City Walk area, and the whole area will be a tailgait area, including open container. They will also have buses running between Celebration Pointe and BHG with no stops. Making it a real possibility for pregaming.

 

[Double Gator Dad]

Since everyone is skeptical (for good reason), here are some reasons it may succeed.

• It's located in Celebration Pointe, which is positioning itself as higher end than its Butler Plaza neighbor.
• The Regal Cinema, which is within short walking distance, was a top 10 grossing theater per screen in the nation. Great date spot in that regard
• There is a ton of higher end apartments being built that are within Celebration Pointe. The townhomes were selling for approx $750M two years ago before the boom.
• Alachua County has chosen Celebration Pointe to house their multi-sport complex that will host local, regional, state, and possibly national competitions. Many weekends there will be some sort of competition(s) going on.
• Gainesville has a growing tech and biomedical presence.
• The Gainesville MSA population is over 330,000 people
• You still have several weekends of graduations, GatorNationals, and other events.
• Located right off of I-75 and near Bass Pro, so good chance for random drops from travelers.
• Concerning the football games, once plans are completed, hopefully this fall, Celebration Pointe will have a tailgate atmosphere. They will close off road traffic thru the City Walk area, and the whole area will be a tailgait area, including open container. They will also have buses running between Celebration Pointe and BHG with no stops. Making it a real possibility for pregaming.

AND Celebration Pointe is 3 miles from Haile Plantation which is home to many of the Gainesville residents that can afford finer dining spots. The Prime and Pearl restaurant opened a few months ago a block away from Spurrier’s place and is doing very well.

 

[alcoholica]

AND Celebration Pointe is 3 miles from Haile Plantation which is home to many of the Gainesville residents that can afford finer dining spots. The Prime and Pearl restaurant opened a few months ago a block away from Spurrier’s place and is doing very well.

Even the areas around Haile are really nice, like Oakmont where Spurrier lives

 

[G. Gordon Gator]

I wonder if he is going to serve breakfast. Remember Breakfast with the Gators? Fun and Gun Omelette with Great Wall bacon.

Man I used to loves me some Breakfast with the Gators on the old Sunshine Network. I wish the latest successor to it, Bally Sports, would bring it back.

I would have one eye on that replay on Sunday mornings while the other was on my computer, making last-minute adjustments to my FFL starting lineup. The postgame Coach's Show lead right up to the NFL pregame coverage and then the Dolphins game. Perfect!

 

[G. Gordon Gator]

I'll go at least once.....

Me too, if I get up that way before it closes. The more I think about it, the less optimistic I am. Between the extremely ambitious size and the upscale menu prices, old Ray Charles and I feel the same way about the likelihood of this place's long-term success. We don't see it happening.

Old SOS won't be the first celebrity or former athlete to buy into a restaurant promoter's pipe dream. Its a good concept but the execution is over the top. IMO the best-case scenario is that they salvage it by downsizing to a smaller location and making it more affordable.

 

[G. Gordon Gator]

Since everyone is skeptical (for good reason), here are some reasons it may succeed.

• It's located in Celebration Pointe, which is positioning itself as higher end than its Butler Plaza neighbor.
• The Regal Cinema, which is within short walking distance, was a top 10 grossing theater per screen in the nation. Great date spot in that regard
• There is a ton of higher end apartments being built that are within Celebration Pointe. The townhomes were selling for approx $750M two years ago before the boom.
• Alachua County has chosen Celebration Pointe to house their multi-sport complex that will host local, regional, state, and possibly national competitions. Many weekends there will be some sort of competition(s) going on.
• Gainesville has a growing tech and biomedical presence.
• The Gainesville MSA population is over 330,000 people
• You still have several weekends of graduations, GatorNationals, and other events.
• Located right off of I-75 and near Bass Pro, so good chance for random drops from travelers.
• Concerning the football games, once plans are completed, hopefully this fall, Celebration Pointe will have a tailgate atmosphere. They will close off road traffic thru the City Walk area, and the whole area will be a tailgait area, including open container. They will also have buses running between Celebration Pointe and BHG with no stops. Making it a real possibility for pregaming.

Some of that stuff sounds encouraging and I have no interest in trying to point-by-point argue against SOS's restaurant succeeding -- I'm one of those skeptical people you mentioned but obviously I'd love to be wrong, and for the place to be busy AF. Looks like it could be a great place IF they can keep it going.

I do have to dicker with you on that last point, though. Sorry but I find it hard to believe that the management of this complex that features SOS's restaurant -- and presumably others as well -- will follow through on any promises to encourage or facilitate an "open container" tailgating scene in the parking lot, where people are eating and drinking out there instead of spending money in their tenants' establishments.

 

[FireFoley]

Man I used to loves me some Breakfast with the Gators on the old Sunshine Network. I wish the latest successor to it, Bally Sports, would bring it back.

I would have one eye on that replay on Sunday mornings while the other was on my computer, making last-minute adjustments to my FFL starting lineup. The postgame Coach's Show lead right up to the NFL pregame coverage and then the Dolphins game. Perfect!

It is okay to speak the truth. The only reason anyone watched Breakfast with the Gators was to hear Nat Moore slobber over the name Percy Harvin(S), and otherwise butcher the English language.

 

[G. Gordon Gator]

It is okay to speak the truth. The only reason anyone watched Breakfast with the Gators was to hear Nat Moore slobber over the name Percy Harvin(S), and otherwise butcher the English language.

Hahaha well the truth is that Nat Moore is not the world's most eloquent man but he was an outstanding player for both my Gators AND my Dolphins, so the latter gives him a pass on the former. I actually enjoyed his commentary. As everyone knows by now I am a Miami resident so I'm accustomed to broken English.

 

[FireFoley]

Hahaha well the truth is that Nat Moore is not the world's most eloquent man but he was an outstanding player for both my Gators AND my Dolphins, so the latter gives him a pass on the former. I actually enjoyed his commentary. As everyone knows by now I am a Miami resident so I'm accustomed to broken English.

Well I lived in Miami right after graduation and am currently not far up here in PBC, so I am now well versed in Portuguese as well as Spanish and Creole. Yes Nat was a great player, but something about him adding an "S" to Percy's last name for 3 years was never less than hysterical.

 

[alcoholica]

Some of that stuff sounds encouraging and I have no interest in trying to point-by-point argue against SOS's restaurant succeeding -- I'm one of those skeptical people you mentioned but obviously I'd love to be wrong, and for the place to be busy AF. Looks like it could be a great place IF they can keep it going.

I do have to dicker with you on that last point, though. Sorry but I find it hard to believe that the management of this complex that features SOS's restaurant -- and presumably others as well -- will follow through on any promises to encourage or facilitate an "open container" tailgating scene in the parking lot, where people are eating and drinking out there instead of spending money in their tenants' establishments.

Open container was approved for the site a couple years ago. It’s a done deal.

Everything You Need to Know About Celebration Pointe’s Open Container Policy