East & West Midlands

Bar Sport

Cannock, Staffordshire

Former amateur boxing champion Scott Murray has delivered a knock-out blow to some of the heavyweights in the industry, with a sports bar concept that he reckons will go the distance.

Scott set up Bar Sport in a former Rank

bingo hall in Cannock eight years ago. He opened a Bar Sport in Walsall, West Midlands, three years later and has recently opened a third venue in Rugby, Warwickshire. Another Bar Sport will open in Loughborough, Leicestershire this spring and more are planned over the next three years.

Gap in the market

Scott turned his attention to sports bars after identifying a gap in the market. He explains: "The big boys have the major cities sewn up, so we concentrate on secondary towns with a sporting link. When we set up in Cannock, we were the only outlet in that part of town. Now, all the major operators have followed suit and there are branded pubs all along the street. However, business for us is better now than it has ever been."

Improving the food

There's much more to Bar Sport - motto "Where sport is life" - than just an array of television screens. Scott says: "We offer combos, platters and food that can be eaten by hand while you're watching sport, but we put a lot of thought into our menu. Now we do home-made quality burgers made from prime Scottish beef."

Female-friendly

Although sport plays an essential part in what Bar Sport has to offer, Scott says he regards the concept as being in tune with style bars. He remarks: "We are female-friendly and stylish with a sporting atmosphere, and at weekends you will find as many women in here as men."

All members of staff have a passion for sport. The Cannock venue also hosts sporting evenings with comedians and sports personalities giving after-dinner speeches to customers.