Local group to launch Fox Sports Grill

B & B Restaurant Ventures in Westlake Village and Fox Sports have announced plans to launch a nationwide chain of premium sports bars called Fox Sports Grill.

The first 18,000 square-foot restaurant is scheduled to open in Scottsdale, Ariz. this fall, according to Damon Phillips, Fox Sports Grill marketing director.

The restaurant will target Fox television markets that are strong sports towns and that have a propensity for dining out.

"As you look across the country we think there’s 30 or 40 cities that fit that criteria," Phillips said.

"We’re trying to elevate the sports bar to a new level that nobody has ever seen before."

Company officials point out that Fox Sports Grill, the network’s first entry into the casual dining market, will be separate from the Fox Sports Skybox bars located at Staples Center in Los Angeles and at airport and mall locations throughout the country.

"Just as Fox Sports has broken new ground with innovative national and local television programming, Fox Sports Grill is creating a new category of premium restaurants-sports bars that delivers great food, personalized service and Fox-style entertainment," said Larry Jones, chief operating officer for Fox Sports.

B & B will serve as the development, financing and management arm for the new chain. The Westlake company is headed by Bill Freeman, a veteran restaurateur and the former vice president and general manager for ESPN Zone entertainment centers, and Bill Dallas, founder of First Franklin Financial Corporation.

The two Lake Sherwood residents also are the co-founders of Oaks Christian High School in Westlake Village.

"I’m excited about the opportunity to launch a new concept that leverages all of Fox Sports’ assets," Freeman said. "Fox Sports Grill will connect with the local community on a higher level than anything in the current marketplace, making it the premier dining and entertainment destination."

Phillips said B & B hopes to open three to four restaurants a year. He didn’t mention an L.A. location.

—John Loesing