Patent Application
20070000185
A sports arena theme restaurant which provides a central floor area surrounded by a plurality of tiers on at least one of which a concourse circumnavigates the central floor area to communicate with a kitchen and a plurality of stairways to provide a restaurant service pattern to seating areas established on the plurality of tiers which allows restaurant patrons to view sports content delivery means from discrete levels above the central floor area while obtaining a plurality of restaurant services.
Sporting activity brings fans together collectively for the enjoyment of the sports team, the sports players, and the camaraderie of sharing the sporting event. It allows the diversity of a community to come together to rally behind a symbol called the Bobcats sports team or the Sting sports team. Through association with the sports team or a sports player the community can build a regional asset in the brand identity of the regional sports team or in the brand identity of the regional sports player, or both. The brand identity in the regional sports team or the brand identity in the regional sports player adds greater value to the entire region and in particular businesses within the region which sell products based upon or associated with the brand identity of the sports teams.
The brand identity of regional sports teams coupled with sports on television available any time of the day between cable channels such as ESPN, SportsChannel Florida, the Sunshine Network, and a variety of satellite television services devoted to sports content made sports bars a hot trend beginning in the 1980s. The addition of viewable sports content to a bar dramatically shifts sales toward food purchases which can become a significant portion of the bars revenue compared to dance and drink revenues.
Due to the trend in food purchases, sports bars have more recently evolved into sports restaurants. Conventional sports restaurants are typically freestanding and generally range in size from 4,000 to 17,000 square feet, seating approximately 200 to 300 customers and typically feature a bar, a dining area, a billiards area and multiple video screens throughout.
Even though sports bars and sports restaurants have catered to a large commercial market for many years there remain substantial unresolved problems with conventional sports bars and sports restaurants.
A first substantial problem with conventional sports bars and sports restaurants may be that the architectural elements of the restaurant lack a sports theme. As above-described convention sports bars and restaurants typically feature a bar, a dining area, a billiards area and multiple video screens throughout. Surprisingly, the only element which distinguishes the sports bar from a bar is the transmission of sports content on the multiple video screens located throughout the restaurant bar and dining area. In any event, the lack of sports theme restaurant architectural elements can result in a failure or a limitation of the conventional sports restaurant to build brand identity with potential restaurant patrons or assist in building brand identity in the regional or national sports team which in turn provides a market for the sports restaurant. While a variety of theme restaurants have been established over the years as disclosed for example by U.S. Pat. No. 6,290,025 (railroad theme restaurant); U.S. Pat. No. 6,161,341 (time ship theme restaurant); U.S. Pat. No. 4,274,233 (artist theme restaurant); or U.S. Pat. No. 3,701,224 (boat theme restaurant), there is surprisingly no similar attempt to provide a sports arena theme restaurant which utilizes sports theme restaurant architectural elements which correspond to the basic architecture of a sports arena or sports stadium.
A second substantial problem with conventional sports bars and sports restaurants may be that the architectural elements of the restaurant fail to illicit in restaurant patrons the feel of a sports arena environment. By limiting the entertainment experience of restaurant patrons to viewing sports activities on a television screen conventional sports bars and sports restaurants can fail to provide sufficient entertainment to draw in a wide demographic of restaurant patrons. Families which have a limited sports entertainment budget may be unwilling to separately budget time and money for sports restaurant dining and for sports games at an arena. However, given the opportunity to combine sports restaurant dining in an environment which can illicit the feel of the sports arena affords the family an opportunity to obtain both within a single budget.
Another substantial problem with conventional sports bars and sports restaurants may be that the architectural elements of the sports restaurant do not sufficiently separate the seating areas at which restaurant patrons dine from the entertainment area in which the entertainment means are located. As above described, whether due to the configuration of the restaurant or the established restaurant service pattern in the restaurant, televisions or video monitors are distributed throughout the floor area of the restaurant. Having the entertainment means distributed throughout the sports restaurant in isolation from the related elements of a sports event affords an experience comparable to watching television at home which may fail to be any entertainment in the context of a dining experience. In certain circumstances, restaurant patrons divide their attention among a plurality of disparate entertainment locations which can be a distraction for the restaurant patron and other restaurant patrons who may also be attempting to view the same plurality of disparate entertainment locations within the restaurant service pattern. Additionally, drink and dance services of the conventional sports bar or sports restaurant can be difficult to separate from the seated dining services without providing separate floor areas partitioned by walls, which again necessitates the use of distributed entertainment means contributing to the above-described problems.
Yet another substantial problem with conventional sports bars and sports restaurants can be the lack of seating areas within the restaurant configured in restaurant entertainment zones which allows restaurant patrons to be seated in an entertainment zone based solely upon the sports content which can be viewed from the restaurant entertainment zone. One aspect of this problem can be that conventional sports restaurants are not configured in a manner which allows a first plurality of restaurant patrons to be seated together to watch the Bobcats and a second plurality of restaurant patrons to be seated together to watch the Sting without partitioning the interior space of restaurant. This limitation of conventional restaurants can result from the conventional provision of televised sports entertainment distributed throughout the restaurant service pattern which, purposefully or by inadvertence, generates a homogeneous entertainment environment which cannot sufficiently differentiate a plurality of restaurant entertainment zones. This conventional approach further dilutes the entertainment value of the sports content because restaurant patrons having dissimilar sports content interests may be randomly seated in close proximity which can impede development of collective enjoyment of the sports team, the sports players, and the camaraderie of sharing the sporting event Still another substantial problem with conventional sports bars and sports restaurants can be the lack of discrete restaurant value service zones within the restaurant which allows restaurant patrons to pay a discrete fee structure for restaurant services based solely upon location of the seating area selected within the restaurant. This limitation of conventional restaurants can result from the conventional provision of televised sports entertainment distributed throughout the restaurant service pattern which, purposefully or by inadvertence, generates a homogeneous entertainment environment which cannot sufficiently differentiate restaurant zones to support a plurality of discrete fee structures. Alternately, conventional sports restaurants rely upon provision of discrete packages of restaurant, bar, or entertainment services to provide the basis of discrete fee structures. These alternate packages of restaurant services are often provided to restaurant patrons as alternate venues separated by wall partitions, such as gaming rooms, bars, theaters, or the like as disclosed for example by U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,306,388 or 3,487,595. However, these separate venues further frustrate the development of a comprehensive sports theme within the restaurant and teach away from a plurality of fee structures supported solely by a difference in restaurant seating location which more closely approaches the fee structures of an actual sporting event at which it is desirable for the sports fan to pay more as the seating location brings the sports fan closer to the sports action.
As to each of these problems related to conventional sports bars and sports restaurants, the instant sports arena theme restaurant system provides a solution.
Accordingly, a broad object of the invention can be to provide a building the interior of which is configured as a central floor area surrounded by a plurality of tiers each of the plurality of tiers providing a seating area for restaurant patrons.
Another significant object of the invention can be to provide a restaurant service pattern to provide restaurant services to the restaurant patrons in the seating areas established on the plurality of tiers surrounding the central floor area which comprises at least a plurality of stairways which allow the plurality of tiers to communicate and a concourse established on at least one of the plurality of tiers which circumnavigates the central floor area and communicates with a restaurant kitchen.
Another significant object of the invention can be to provide a sports entertainment means located substantially within the area bounded by the perimeter of the central floor area and the height of the interior space of the building above the central floor area which provides sports theme content viewable by the restaurant patrons in the seating areas established on the plurality of tiers.
Another significant object of the invention can be to provide sports arena theme restaurant elements which the restaurant patron can associate as corresponding to architectural elements of a sports arena to illicit the feel of a sports arena environment within a sports arena theme restaurant comprising at least a central floor area corresponding to the playing surface within an arena or stadium, a sports entertainment means substantially located in the space bounded by the central floor area corresponding to the players on the playing surface, a plurality of tiers on which seating areas are established corresponding to the tiered seating within an arena or stadium. Additional sports theme restaurant elements can further be provided to facilitate the feel of a sports arena environment including, without limitation, a concourse established on one or more of the plurality of tiers which allows a person to in whole or in part circumnavigate the central floor area in correspondence to the concourses in an arena or stadium, or a viewing partition established between the central floor area and the dining areas established on the plurality of tiers corresponding to the partition established between the playing surface and the seating area of a stadium whether the partition comprises a fence, a wall, a glass panel, netting, or the like.
Another significant object of the invention can be to substantially separate the sports entertainment means from the dining areas within a restaurant by establishing the sports entertainment means in a central space surrounded in whole or in part by a plurality of tiers on which the dining area of the restaurant is established allowing restaurant patrons to dine separate from the sports entertainment means while viewing sports entertainment.
Another significant object of the invention can be to divide the dining area of the restaurant established on the plurality of tiers which surround the central space in which the sports entertainment means is located into a plurality of discrete restaurant entertainment zones. Each of the plurality of discrete entertainment zones can be established to allow restaurant patrons seated in a particular restaurant entertainment zone to view sports entertainment content which corresponds to the viewable portion of the sports entertainment means viewable from that particular restaurant entertainment zone. Because the dining area can be established on a plurality of tiers which in whole or in part surround the central space at which the sports entertainment means can be located, a plurality of discrete restaurant entertainment zones can be established in the dining area each having a corresponding viewable portion of the sports entertainment means with each viewable portion of the sports entertainment means capable of delivering sports entertainment content (whether the same similar or different between discrete restaurant entertainment zones) to the restaurant patrons seated in the corresponding restaurant entertainment zone. Providing discrete restaurant entertainment zones allows each restaurant patron a manner of selecting sports entertainment content also selected by other restaurant patrons seated in the same restaurant entertainment zone. Additionally, the sports theme restaurant in accordance with the invention allows the plurality of discrete restaurant entertainment zones to be established without separation by partitions such as walls or panels.
Another significant object of the invention can be to provide discrete restaurant value service zones within the restaurant which allows restaurant patrons to pay a discrete fee structure for restaurant services based solely upon location of the seating area within the restaurant, or solely upon the configuration of the seating area or the configuration of the seating means. Again, to illicit the feel of an arena or stadium environment restaurant patrons may pay more or less for restaurant services for seating in a more or less desirable location, seating area, seating configuration, or seating means within the restaurant.
Another significant object of the invention can be to provide a sports arena theme restaurant having a central floor area surrounded by a plurality of tiers on at least one of which a concourse circumnavigates the central floor area to communicate with a kitchen and a plurality of stairways to provide a restaurant service pattern to seating areas established on the plurality of tiers which allows restaurant patrons to view sports content delivery means from discrete levels above the central floor area while obtaining a plurality of restaurant services.
Naturally, further objects of the invention are disclosed throughout other areas of the specification, drawings, and claims.
A sports arena theme restaurant which provides a central floor area surrounded by a plurality of tiers on at least one of which a concourse circumnavigates the central floor area to communicate with a kitchen and a plurality of stairways to provide a restaurant service pattern to seating areas established the plurality of tiers which allows restaurant patrons to view entertainment means from discrete levels above the central floor area.
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As to the particular embodiment of the sports arena theme restaurant invention shown by
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The sports theme restaurant elements can further include one or a plurality of stairways (20) which communicate between the plurality of tiers (9) to provide access to each discrete level established by the plurality of tiers (9). As shown by
The sports theme restaurant elements can further include a concourse (23)(or more than one concourse) established on one of the plurality of tiers (9)(or more than one of the plurality of tiers) which circumnavigates the central floor area (8) and communicates with the plurality of stairways (20) to provide a restaurant service pattern between each of the seating areas (10). As to embodiments of the sports theme restaurant invention shown by FIGS. 2 and 3, the concourse can further communicate with the kitchen area (6) as part of the restaurant service pattern for food delivery to each of the seating areas (10). The kitchen area (6) can be established on the same one of the plurality of tiers (9) as the concourse (13) to aid in efficiency in utilizing the restaurant service pattern.
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The sports thematic content delivery means (25) can further or in the alternative include audio generation devices comprising without limitation: loudspeakers, wireless audio, speakers combined with a visual display whether separate or integral, home theater, or the like. The sports thematic content delivery means (25) can further or in the alternative include lighting devices comprising without limitation: conventional lighting fixtures, digital lighting fixtures, spot lights, light emitting diodes, or the like. As to each of the numerous and varied thematic sports content delivery means (25) capable of providing perceivable thematic content (26) to restaurant patrons (5) the necessary power and transmission hardware means and circuitry means can be further provided as would be known to a person of ordinary skill in the art.
As to certain embodiments of the sports theme restaurant invention, the sports thematic content delivery means (25) capable of providing perceivable thematic sports content (26) to restaurant patrons (5) can be located substantially within the space bounded by the perimeter of the central floor area (8). As to those embodiments of the sports arena theme restaurant, which further include the viewing partition (24), the thematic content delivery means (25) can be located substantially within the space bounded by the perimeter of the viewing partition (24). In either event, locating the sports thematic content delivery means (25) within a central entertainment space (27) defined by the central floor space or by the perimeter of the viewing partition, or both, can provide sports thematic content (26) perceivable by restaurant patrons (5) at the seating areas (10) established on the plurality of tiers (9) which corresponds to sports players (28) on a playing field of a sports arena, such as hockey players on an ice rink, basketball players on a hard court, baseball players on a baseball field, football players on a football field, soccer players on a soccer field, tennis players on a tennis court, or the like. Naturally, these examples are not intended to limit the numerous and wide variety of sports thematic content (26) which can be delivered by the sports content delivery means (25) located in the central entertainment area (27). Additional sports content delivery means (25) can be located outside of the central entertainment space (27) which correspond to certain elements in a sports arena such as scoreboards, perimeter message boards, circular video band (29), or the like.
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Restaurant patrons can select from the plurality of restaurant entertainment zones (31) in which to be seated to view the corresponding perceivable thematic sports content (26) delivered from the viewable portion (32) of the sports thematic content delivery means (25) located in the central entertainment space (27). The selection by the restaurant patron (5) of the restaurant entertainment zone (31) in which to be seated can generate a plurality of restaurant patrons (5) within the restaurant entertainment zone (31) which have similar demographics in the perceivable thematic sports content (26) delivered by the viewable portion (32) of the sports thematic content delivery means (25). This approach provides a sports arena theme restaurant element which corresponds to sports fans attending a sports event at a sports arena or sports stadium.
The seating means (11) of the plurality of seating areas (10) established on the plurality of tiers (9) can be divided into a plurality of restaurant service value zones (30)(for example, as shown by
As can be easily understood from the foregoing, the basic concepts of the present invention may be embodied in a variety of ways. The invention involves numerous and varied embodiments of a sports theme restaurant and methods of making and using such sports theme restaurant.
As such, the particular embodiments or elements of the invention disclosed by the description or shown in the figures accompanying this application are not intended to be limiting, but rather exemplary of the numerous and varied embodiments generically encompassed by the invention or equivalents encompassed with respect to any particular element thereof. In addition, the specific description of a single embodiment or element of the invention may not explicitly describe all embodiments or elements possible; many alternatives are implicitly disclosed by the description and figures.
It should be understood that each element of an apparatus or each step of a method may be described by an apparatus term or method term. Such terms can be substituted where desired to make explicit the implicitly broad coverage to which this invention is entitled. As but one example, it should be understood that all steps of a method may be disclosed as an action, a means for taking that action, or as an element which causes that action. Similarly, each element of an apparatus may be disclosed as the physical element or the action which that physical element facilitates. As but one example, the disclosure of a “seat” should be understood to encompass disclosure of the act of “seating”—whether explicitly discussed or not—and, conversely, were there effectively disclosure of the act of “seating”, such a disclosure should be understood to encompass disclosure of a “seat” and even a “means for seating” Such alternative terms for each element or step are to be understood to be explicitly included in the description.
In addition, as to each term used it should be understood that unless its utilization in this application is inconsistent with such interpretation, common dictionary definitions should be understood to included in the description for each term as contained in the Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, second edition, each definition hereby incorporated by reference.
Thus, the applicant(s) should be understood to claim at least: i) each of the sports theme restaurants herein disclosed and described, ii) the related methods disclosed and described, iii) similar, equivalent, and even implicit variations of each of these devices and methods, iv) those alternative embodiments which accomplish each of the functions shown, disclosed, or described, v) those alternative designs and methods which accomplish each of the functions shown as are implicit to accomplish that which is disclosed and described, vi) each feature, component, and step shown as separate and independent inventions, vii) the applications enhanced by the various systems or components disclosed, viii) the resulting products produced by such systems or components, ix) methods and apparatuses substantially as described hereinbefore and with reference to any of the accompanying examples, x) the various combinations and permutations of each of the previous elements disclosed.
The claims set forth in this specification are hereby incorporated by reference as part of this description of the invention, and the applicant expressly reserves the right to use all of or a portion of such incorporated content of such claims as additional description to support any of or all of the claims or any element or component thereof, and the applicant further expressly reserves the right to move any portion of or all of the incorporated content of such claims or any element or component thereof from the description into the claims or vice-versa as necessary to define the matter for which protection is sought by this application or by any subsequent continuation, division, or continuation-in-part application thereof, or to obtain any benefit of, reduction in fees pursuant to, or to comply with the patent laws, rules, or regulations of any country or treaty, and such content incorporated by reference shall survive during the entire pendency of this application including any subsequent continuation, division, or continuation-in-part application thereof or any reissue or extension thereon.
The claims set forth below are intended describe the metes and bounds of a limited number of the preferred embodiments of the invention and are not to be construed as the broadest embodiment of the invention or a complete listing of embodiments of the invention that may be claimed. The applicant does not waive any right to develop further claims based upon the description set forth above as a part of any continuation, division, or continuation-in-part, or similar application.
