A former top amateur boxer from Staffordshire has just added another venue to his award winning American style sports bar chain. Bar Sport, started by Cannock entrepreneur Scott Murray back in 1998, is set to open a new venue in Derby.
Bar Sport Derby, which opens on 12 February at a cost £500,000, will create over 20 new jobs, and opens at the site of a former American restaurant called Rhode Island Diner.
The venue, which is on one floor, will accommodate over 30 HD TV screens plus a huge big game projector showing live sport from around the globe all day every day. It will also display authentic sports memorabilia, and have an extensive American style food menu including burgers, ribs and wings. There will be regular Man V Food style challenges plus regular entertainment throughout the week.
The bar is being run by 55-year-old franchisee Akin Tahsin and his son-in-law Mustafa Uruncuoglu, aged 35. Mr Tahsin said: “Bar Sport is a proven concept and has had so much success with venues right across the country. When we heard about the franchise opportunity being offered by Bar Sport it appeared to be an excellent opportunity for both of us.
“We are both looking forward to making a tremendous success of it.”
More openings in 2015
Mr Murray (pictured top – in company!) continues to run his original Bar Sport venue at Cannock which he first opened in 1998. He said: “It is fantastic to see yet another Bar Sport open in the UK. The Bar Sport chain is growing all the time.
“Bar Sport Derby will be our 6th Bar Sport franchise with plans to open a venue at Southampton, Portsmouth, Nottingham and Scotland this year.
“The reaction to Bar Sport elsewhere shows we have a winning formula. Our franchises have won best sports bar in the UK for the last two years so we know we are getting things right. We eventually want to open a Bar Sport in every town in the UK.
“The opening of Bar Sport Derby is just another step along the way in becoming the leader in its field.”
Other Bar Sport venues have seen visits from the likes of former World Heavyweight Boxing Champion Evander Holyfield, five weight World Champion Sugar Ray Leonard, and former two-weight boxing World Champion Ricky Hatton.
Bar Sport was one of the first American style bars in the UK when Mr Murray first opened his Cannock franchise. He thought of the concept after visiting America while on a boxing camp.
Bar Sport has won the Best Sports Bar in the Great British Pub Awards for two years running. Bar Sport Cannock won in 2013 and its Maidenhead franchise in 2014.