Tom’s Watch Bar heats up sports bar competition with focus on experience
Co-CEO Brooks Schaden explains how the concept tailors its food, service, and marketing to “gravities of traffic” If you’ve ever been to a professional sports game or major concert, you’ve spent a good deal of time in what Brooks Schaden likes to call a “gravity of traffic.” Schaden is the cofounder and co-CEO of Tom’s Watch Bar, a 13-unit concept that also counts Rick Schaden and Tom Ryan — Smashburger’s cofounders — as well as former Texas Roadhouse executive Shannon McNiel as founders. And “gravities of traffic” are the sweet spot for Tom’s Watch Bar as it scales across the country; they’re high-density, high-foot-traffic locations in major markets where sports teams, convention centers, casinos, and more draw many thousands of customers on a regular basis. Within these locations, Tom’s Watch Bar is elevating the traditional sports bar experience by offering better food, beverages, and service to appeal to a demographic eager for “experience entertainment.” Brooks Schaden joined the latest episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches to explain why the old standard for sports bars just doesn’t cut it anymore and how the brand is building its own fan club through a fun and distinct experience. In this conversation, you’ll learn more about why: You don’t need to reinvent the wheel to launch a successful concept Customers want way more than the local sports team on your TVs The sports bar customer isn’t who you think it is There is big traffic potential in “gravities of traffic”… …but those gravities require a totally different playbook on service, marketing, and ops Contact Sam Oches at sam.oches@informa.com.
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If you’ve ever been to a professional sports game or major concert, you’ve spent a good deal of time in what Brooks Schaden likes to call a “gravity of traffic.”
Schaden is the cofounder and co-CEO of Tom’s Watch Bar, a 13-unit concept that also counts Rick Schaden and Tom Ryan — Smashburger’s cofounders — as well as former Texas Roadhouse executive Shannon McNiel as founders. And “gravities of traffic” are the sweet spot for Tom’s Watch Bar as it scales across the country; they’re high-density, high-foot-traffic locations in major markets where sports teams, convention centers, casinos, and more draw many thousands of customers on a regular basis.
Within these locations, Tom’s Watch Bar is elevating the traditional sports bar experience by offering better food, beverages, and service to appeal to a demographic eager for “experience entertainment.”
Brooks Schaden joined the latest episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches to explain why the old standard for sports bars just doesn’t cut it anymore and how the brand is building its own fan club through a fun and distinct experience.
In this conversation, you’ll learn more about why:
- You don’t need to reinvent the wheel to launch a successful concept
- Customers want way more than the local sports team on your TVs
- The sports bar customer isn’t who you think it is
- There is big traffic potential in “gravities of traffic”…
- …but those gravities require a totally different playbook on service, marketing, and ops
Contact Sam Oches at sam.oches@informa.com.
