There’s nothing unusual about finding a television set in a bar or restaurant – but a chain in Los Angeles is taking the concept to the next step, hoping to attract fans of out-of-town football teams for a long visit with plasma-screen-equipped booths.
The problem faced by most establishment with a limited number of screens is the inability to deliver the entire schedule. But at Barney’s Beanery, all a customer has to do is get seated in one of its designated booths and make his/her own choice as to which game to watch.
The restaurant offers the service as an alternative to ordering up a satellite MVPD service just to satisfy a thirst for football from out of the market. And in the case of Los Angeles, that can mean a significant number of potential customers, since there is no local NFL team at the moment.
“Whether your team is last year’s Super Bowl Champ or is one that’s looking ahead to glory, we don’t play favorites. You can order up any Pro game and you don’t have to flip for what everyone else wants in the room,” said David Houston, co-owner of Barney’s Beanery.
The Beanery bills itself as a sports bar, and offers food (including breakfast any time) and numerous beer options. The plasma screen booths will be offered in four Los Angeles locations. Each venue will have four such booths.
RBR-TVBR observation: We can see how the NFL on TV makes a great hook to get this service rolling – and we can also see how the television-booth concept might be used to drum up a little extra business at other times as well.
